Jojo's Wish to go to Disney

Jojo was born with a heart defect that required him to have a pacemaker inserted at only nine days old. Jojo’s family had a deep connection with Make-A-Wish, as his grandmother Cathy is a long-time wish granting volunteer, having worked with dozens of wish kids over the years.

In planning his wish, Jojo immediately knew he wanted to go to Disney because he loves Mickey Mouse and Olaf and wanted to meet them. JoJo even knew all about Give Kids the World Village (GKTW) and dreamed of staying there in the cartoon-like villas.

Jojo and his family found out that his wish was granted at a Sea Dogs game, on the field in front of the entire stadium! His mom Amanda said, “The atmosphere was amazing and hearing the crowd cheer for him was so special. He came running up to me after and was so excited that he was going to get his wish. The whole day was so special for our family! He was also given a special countdown calendar that he got to read every day (and would even let his brother read some out loud) so our family could learn some fun facts about Disney and get excited about the trip getting closer.”

Jojo and his siblings were surprised with a wish party delivery just before they left for their trip complete with balloons, cake, and travel bags packed with gifts. Olaf even stopped by to say hello!

On his wish trip, Jojo and his siblings finally got to meet Micky Mouse on the first morning. They then went to the Castle of Miracles where JoJo was able to sign his very own star. This star would later be placed by the star fairy in a special location, where it will stay forever.

The days following at Disney World were a blast for the family. Thanks to the Fast Pass Lanes, they were able to make it through lines quicker and go on even more rides throughout the day. They rode some of their favorites multiple times throughout their visit.

 “From the rides, to the music that always seemed to be playing whenever you walked around outside, to the parties every night, the pools, the food and yummy cake cart every night, the hot cookie cart at night, the part that is still lit up with Christmas lights, the gift fairy that would leave special gifts for the kids during the day when we were gone and the kids getting to eat ice cream whenever they wanted, the whole GKTW experience was just so, so amazing!” – Amanda, wish mom