I wish to go to Walt Disney World® Resort
Giselle
6
kidney transplant
A Wish Unites Giselle, Sister in Everlasting Experience of Joy
Giselle and her sister Emily have always been inseparable. Together, they love to play dress-up in frilly dresses while they imagine becoming princesses themselves.
But everything changed for the pair when Giselle found out that she needed a kidney transplant. At only 6 years old, Giselle knows what it’s like to spend years in and out of the hospital, enduring treatments and managing complications from a kidney transplant. During that time, Giselle was forced to spend many long days and nights away from her beloved sister.
The girls’ hearts broke every time Giselle had to leave home and return to the hospital. Their mother, Estefania, said she feared the day when one of her children would contract a common cold. For her family, a minor illness could mean a detrimental setback in Giselle’s treatment.
Days before her first surgery, Giselle grinned with joy when she learned that she would be granted a wish. After so much fear and worry, she was filled with hope and excitement that gave her strength leading up to surgery. When thinking about her wish, Giselle knew she wanted to transform into a princess and experience Walt Disney World®Resort with Emily.
As Giselle lay in her hospital bed healing from her procedure, she fantasized about exploring magical lands with Emily. What exciting rides would they ride, food would they eat and princesses would they meet? Giselle experienced bursts of renewed energy thanks to the possibility of her wish coming true. Now, she could look forward to the future rather than fear it.
When her wish day finally arrived, Giselle and Emily squealed with glee and jumped up and down as a limousine pulled into their driveway to transport them to ‘The Most Magical Place on Earth.’ Giselle and Emily stepped into Magic Kingdom Park hand-in-hand, their faces glowing with transformational joy. After so much pain and time apart, the girls finally had the chance to experience a pure moment of childhood together, surrounded by everyone they loved most.
Giselle and Emily soaked up every second of their adventure. Dressed as princesses, the two beamed with amazement as they met their favorite Disney characters, including Mary Poppins and Donald Duck. They giggled with delight as they embarked on a safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, coming face-to-face with animals they had only seen on TV.
Near the end of their trip, Giselle and Emily embraced in front of Cinderella Castle, their eyes glistening with happy tears. Gone from their minds were the memories of separation and painful treatments. Giselle’s wish reunited them and gave the entire family a glimpse of a hopeful future filled with love, togetherness and uncapped possibilities.
Together, Disney and Make-A-Wish® have made more than 145,000 wishes come true over the course of their more than 40-year relationship. The entire Disney family works with Make-A-Wish to grant life-changing wishes, including theme park and resort vacations, cruises, shopping sprees, studio visits, talent meet-and-greets, sports-themed experiences and more.