Making Wishes Come True
Making Wishes Come True is a week long trip to Florida to volunteer at Give Kids the World, a 70 acre resort located near Central Florida's many attractions, where children with life-threatening illnesses and their families are treated to a week long cost free vacation. We volunteered for two shifts per day helping with numerous themed parties, serving meals and other activities in the Village.
The week that I spent in Florida volunteering with Give Kids the World was one of the most fulfilling weeks, if not one of the best weeks of my entire life. And I thought that Florida couldn’t get any better than Disney… Boy was I wrong.
GKTW Village is truly a magical place. The one thing that really stood out, was of course the families. People coming from all over the world, to a place of happiness, comfort, normalcy and a place where happiness inspires hope. Something that struck me as interesting was the fact that many of the families said they preferred their time spent in the village to the time spent at the many Central Florida attractions. It wasn’t because there were rides that rivaled the Disney parks, or that we had an incredible pool, but instead it was the general atmosphere. One of acceptance and encouragement; where every kid was special. Not because they were sick, but because no kid should miss out on their childhood; wish child and siblings alike. They weren’t told no, they were only told yes. There were no weird looks or stupid questions. Everything was accessible, readily available and delivered with a smile. That smile was not forced nor was it at all fabricated. It was genuine and I couldn’t wipe one off my face the entire week. For one week, these families forgot their worries and their doctor’s visits. They ate ice cream for breakfast, they participated in Village Idol, were given their own star in the Castle’s star tower, they played the largest game of Candyland and so so much more. The lengths that a lot of these parents and siblings and families go to, above everything else they have done through all the ups and downs of everyday life is amazing. I experienced truly incredible family dynamics here, and it made me appreciate my own family all that much more.
One thing that really surprised me was my emotional reaction to the trip. I thought that this would be emotionally tolling and even upsetting at times. Not to sound heartless, but I didn’t feel like that at all. It’s an uplifting and inspiring experience, one almost too powerful for words. I think it will be hard to assimilate back into the negativity of everyday life and the judgment and stereotyping that surrounds many of these illnesses that I have become comfortable with.
I think that this experience has really shown me how to handle possibly uncomfortable situations in a new light from multiple different perspectives. I now know that there’s no need to tiptoe around many of the issues or jump to the conclusion that people need help. These kids are just kids. They may not have spent as much time running around in their backyard but that doesn’t change the fact that they are people too. Not delicate objects that can be broken. Many of them are so unbelievably resilient that I think they’re impossible to break. Sure there are going to be differences, as volunteers we were told we were only allowed to give side hugs to avoid issues with ports and such. But ultimately there’s a difference between being observant and therefor careful and being ignorant and therefor distant. The purpose of these organizations and places like the Village are to relieve these societal and everyday pressures. Everything should be easy. It should be comfortable. It should be normal. And it is.
An impactful part of this experience was the group that I got to share it with. Not just the group from UC but also the staff and other volunteers from the Village. It is such an amazing network of people that come together to make this happen week after week and year after year. Its no easy task, but its one that has become seamless and is received with such gratitude. You would think that I was doing something obscene like cleaning toilets with how appreciative everyone was. I would go back in a heartbeat to do it again. Seeing families' smiling faces and hearing about their plans for the day while serving breakfast at the Gingerbread House made me feel so full of life and joy. It’s such a simple task, something I grew to love because of the people I got to interact with. Making banana splits for kids who just realized that they have no limitations on toppings or flavors or height of the whipped cream was something I will remember for a long time. There was such amazement in these kids eyes. Doing something so simple was so rewarding. So fulfilling. I was just as happy to be a volunteering as these families were to be at the Village. As funny and kind of ironic as it sounds, it takes a village. A village of volunteers, a village to change a wish kid’s life - a wish family’s life. I take pride in being part of something so much more than myself. I like to see the results of my actions with the smiles that I can bring to families faces and kids lives. It’s not like I’m an integral part of these families’ time here but I feel that I really am making a difference. I am making wishes come true, and nothing can top that feeling.
One of the readings that we completed before this experience was from the Gift of Life, which was a book about the making of Give Kids the World Village and it’s creator, Mr. Herni Landwirth. It’s an amazing story of one man's dream to make the world a better place. It all started with a young girl that ran out of time. From then on Mr. Landwirth made it his goal that no other children would miss out on fulfilling their greatest wishes because they didn’t have enough time or a place to stay. Everything in the village is donated, there is no advertising done in return. It’s amazing how much has been given, and is continued to be given to keep this organization alive. In this book and also in the Make-A-Wish Impact Study there was one quote that really stood out to me. It said something about life being so much more than an illness. That’s what is really exemplified in the Village. So much time for these families has been spent around and with these illnesses. But for one week, that can be put on the backburner. Vacation gets to come first, without the concerns of money and waiting in line and accessibility. It gives families memories to cherish for a lifetime. Sometimes the trip is some of the family’s last good memories, and sometimes too it comes right at the time of a celebration. Either way, this trip is special. It’s so much more than just Disney, or meeting Mickey Mouse. It’s life changing. This doesn’t just go for the families, this goes for me too.
With my major of Graphic Design I would love to either co-op or one day work with a nonprofit organization, especially Make-A-Wish or Give Kids the World. Coming into this experience I wanted to learn how to be a more positive presence. Its not that I am a negative or pessimistic person, but as I learned at Leadershape, one of the things that I need to work on as a leader is how to bring others into the conversation and encourage their input. I don’t want to ever be demanding or demeaning. Working with children, especially those with life-threatening conditions, it is very important to be positive. To make a difference by how you act and who you are, encouraging and supporting their hopes and dreams. As much as I want to say that I am hoping to be a role model to many of these kids, more than anything I want to leave a positive impression and a sense of hope. I believe in the power of dreams and being a kid; I hope that they learn this too and can get the most that they can out of this incredible opportunity.
In my This I Believe statement created for the Gateway to University Honors course, I talked about growing up. More specifically, about not wanting to grow up and being a kid at heart. Disney sat at the heart of these beliefs, teaching me that there’s nothing wrong with being a dreamer, hoping for happy endings and handsome princes. There’s no shame in enjoying a company that finds it fundamentally incorrect to produce un-happy endings. Sometimes, well really most of the time, you have to be an adult. But sometimes, those hopefully not too rare sometimes, you get to be a kid. Embrace it. Life is too serious, too complicated. I can readily admit that Disney makes me happy. Disney has taught me to be a dreamer, to follow my heart and to never grow up. To always enjoy a good laugh and a happy ending. I believe in being a kid at heart. I believe in happy endings. And most importantly, I believe in never growing up.
Both Make-a-Wise and Give Kids the World work directly with the perpetration of dreams. I can’t even begin to express how important I think it is to dream, to use ones imagination, and as I learned at Leadershape, to have a healthy disregard for the impossible. Especially as a kid, there should be nothing that you can’t do, you should be able to be a princess, a firefighter, an astronaut, a ballerina, whatever it is that you truly want to be. Sure it’s pretend, but that’s childhood. A childhood shouldn’t be filled with hospital visits and medicine bottles. But life’s not fair and sometimes that’s the way that it works out. But no one can ever steal your childhood, not without your permission. With these two organizations, they are encouraging kids; the kids that deserve it most, to dream without borders, to make a wish. To have a childhood and pull out that audacious, dauntless, impractical, passionate little kid with a dream.
I think that Make-A-Wish and Give Kids the World are two incredible organizations that as a society we do not hear enough about. I think that the impact that they make on families, individuals and even entire communities is something to be shared and continued. Give Kids the World Village as a community is impacted by the families that come through its gates every week. After leaving, I want to go back and volunteer again. It is something I am determined to make happen, even if it is on my own. There’s a reason they have volunteers that have served THOUSANDS of hours or high school students who come back every single week, give up their Friday nights, to help put on the same party week after week. Its such a selfless act, or really ordeal that each of these organizations goes through to make these trips an experience. And they don’t cut anything short. It’s an experience, for the entire family, not just a trip. Its something to treasure, like the gold stars in the castle, even long after a person is gone. Or a celebration, of beating cancer or other illnesses. Either way, Give Kids the World is a magical place. A place that inspires hope. A place that has inspired me to make the most of what I have been given and to be conscientious and empathetic in everyday life. I want to go back. Tomorrow and next year and when I’m 75 years old. I want to encourage people to dream, to share the power of dreams and what I have learned recently, of happiness. This trip shall long be treasured in my heart and I am so grateful for this opportunity.
GKTW Village is truly a magical place. The one thing that really stood out, was of course the families. People coming from all over the world, to a place of happiness, comfort, normalcy and a place where happiness inspires hope. Something that struck me as interesting was the fact that many of the families said they preferred their time spent in the village to the time spent at the many Central Florida attractions. It wasn’t because there were rides that rivaled the Disney parks, or that we had an incredible pool, but instead it was the general atmosphere. One of acceptance and encouragement; where every kid was special. Not because they were sick, but because no kid should miss out on their childhood; wish child and siblings alike. They weren’t told no, they were only told yes. There were no weird looks or stupid questions. Everything was accessible, readily available and delivered with a smile. That smile was not forced nor was it at all fabricated. It was genuine and I couldn’t wipe one off my face the entire week. For one week, these families forgot their worries and their doctor’s visits. They ate ice cream for breakfast, they participated in Village Idol, were given their own star in the Castle’s star tower, they played the largest game of Candyland and so so much more. The lengths that a lot of these parents and siblings and families go to, above everything else they have done through all the ups and downs of everyday life is amazing. I experienced truly incredible family dynamics here, and it made me appreciate my own family all that much more.
One thing that really surprised me was my emotional reaction to the trip. I thought that this would be emotionally tolling and even upsetting at times. Not to sound heartless, but I didn’t feel like that at all. It’s an uplifting and inspiring experience, one almost too powerful for words. I think it will be hard to assimilate back into the negativity of everyday life and the judgment and stereotyping that surrounds many of these illnesses that I have become comfortable with.
I think that this experience has really shown me how to handle possibly uncomfortable situations in a new light from multiple different perspectives. I now know that there’s no need to tiptoe around many of the issues or jump to the conclusion that people need help. These kids are just kids. They may not have spent as much time running around in their backyard but that doesn’t change the fact that they are people too. Not delicate objects that can be broken. Many of them are so unbelievably resilient that I think they’re impossible to break. Sure there are going to be differences, as volunteers we were told we were only allowed to give side hugs to avoid issues with ports and such. But ultimately there’s a difference between being observant and therefor careful and being ignorant and therefor distant. The purpose of these organizations and places like the Village are to relieve these societal and everyday pressures. Everything should be easy. It should be comfortable. It should be normal. And it is.
An impactful part of this experience was the group that I got to share it with. Not just the group from UC but also the staff and other volunteers from the Village. It is such an amazing network of people that come together to make this happen week after week and year after year. Its no easy task, but its one that has become seamless and is received with such gratitude. You would think that I was doing something obscene like cleaning toilets with how appreciative everyone was. I would go back in a heartbeat to do it again. Seeing families' smiling faces and hearing about their plans for the day while serving breakfast at the Gingerbread House made me feel so full of life and joy. It’s such a simple task, something I grew to love because of the people I got to interact with. Making banana splits for kids who just realized that they have no limitations on toppings or flavors or height of the whipped cream was something I will remember for a long time. There was such amazement in these kids eyes. Doing something so simple was so rewarding. So fulfilling. I was just as happy to be a volunteering as these families were to be at the Village. As funny and kind of ironic as it sounds, it takes a village. A village of volunteers, a village to change a wish kid’s life - a wish family’s life. I take pride in being part of something so much more than myself. I like to see the results of my actions with the smiles that I can bring to families faces and kids lives. It’s not like I’m an integral part of these families’ time here but I feel that I really am making a difference. I am making wishes come true, and nothing can top that feeling.
One of the readings that we completed before this experience was from the Gift of Life, which was a book about the making of Give Kids the World Village and it’s creator, Mr. Herni Landwirth. It’s an amazing story of one man's dream to make the world a better place. It all started with a young girl that ran out of time. From then on Mr. Landwirth made it his goal that no other children would miss out on fulfilling their greatest wishes because they didn’t have enough time or a place to stay. Everything in the village is donated, there is no advertising done in return. It’s amazing how much has been given, and is continued to be given to keep this organization alive. In this book and also in the Make-A-Wish Impact Study there was one quote that really stood out to me. It said something about life being so much more than an illness. That’s what is really exemplified in the Village. So much time for these families has been spent around and with these illnesses. But for one week, that can be put on the backburner. Vacation gets to come first, without the concerns of money and waiting in line and accessibility. It gives families memories to cherish for a lifetime. Sometimes the trip is some of the family’s last good memories, and sometimes too it comes right at the time of a celebration. Either way, this trip is special. It’s so much more than just Disney, or meeting Mickey Mouse. It’s life changing. This doesn’t just go for the families, this goes for me too.
With my major of Graphic Design I would love to either co-op or one day work with a nonprofit organization, especially Make-A-Wish or Give Kids the World. Coming into this experience I wanted to learn how to be a more positive presence. Its not that I am a negative or pessimistic person, but as I learned at Leadershape, one of the things that I need to work on as a leader is how to bring others into the conversation and encourage their input. I don’t want to ever be demanding or demeaning. Working with children, especially those with life-threatening conditions, it is very important to be positive. To make a difference by how you act and who you are, encouraging and supporting their hopes and dreams. As much as I want to say that I am hoping to be a role model to many of these kids, more than anything I want to leave a positive impression and a sense of hope. I believe in the power of dreams and being a kid; I hope that they learn this too and can get the most that they can out of this incredible opportunity.
In my This I Believe statement created for the Gateway to University Honors course, I talked about growing up. More specifically, about not wanting to grow up and being a kid at heart. Disney sat at the heart of these beliefs, teaching me that there’s nothing wrong with being a dreamer, hoping for happy endings and handsome princes. There’s no shame in enjoying a company that finds it fundamentally incorrect to produce un-happy endings. Sometimes, well really most of the time, you have to be an adult. But sometimes, those hopefully not too rare sometimes, you get to be a kid. Embrace it. Life is too serious, too complicated. I can readily admit that Disney makes me happy. Disney has taught me to be a dreamer, to follow my heart and to never grow up. To always enjoy a good laugh and a happy ending. I believe in being a kid at heart. I believe in happy endings. And most importantly, I believe in never growing up.
Both Make-a-Wise and Give Kids the World work directly with the perpetration of dreams. I can’t even begin to express how important I think it is to dream, to use ones imagination, and as I learned at Leadershape, to have a healthy disregard for the impossible. Especially as a kid, there should be nothing that you can’t do, you should be able to be a princess, a firefighter, an astronaut, a ballerina, whatever it is that you truly want to be. Sure it’s pretend, but that’s childhood. A childhood shouldn’t be filled with hospital visits and medicine bottles. But life’s not fair and sometimes that’s the way that it works out. But no one can ever steal your childhood, not without your permission. With these two organizations, they are encouraging kids; the kids that deserve it most, to dream without borders, to make a wish. To have a childhood and pull out that audacious, dauntless, impractical, passionate little kid with a dream.
I think that Make-A-Wish and Give Kids the World are two incredible organizations that as a society we do not hear enough about. I think that the impact that they make on families, individuals and even entire communities is something to be shared and continued. Give Kids the World Village as a community is impacted by the families that come through its gates every week. After leaving, I want to go back and volunteer again. It is something I am determined to make happen, even if it is on my own. There’s a reason they have volunteers that have served THOUSANDS of hours or high school students who come back every single week, give up their Friday nights, to help put on the same party week after week. Its such a selfless act, or really ordeal that each of these organizations goes through to make these trips an experience. And they don’t cut anything short. It’s an experience, for the entire family, not just a trip. Its something to treasure, like the gold stars in the castle, even long after a person is gone. Or a celebration, of beating cancer or other illnesses. Either way, Give Kids the World is a magical place. A place that inspires hope. A place that has inspired me to make the most of what I have been given and to be conscientious and empathetic in everyday life. I want to go back. Tomorrow and next year and when I’m 75 years old. I want to encourage people to dream, to share the power of dreams and what I have learned recently, of happiness. This trip shall long be treasured in my heart and I am so grateful for this opportunity.
Below are my daily reflections that were completed each night of the trip where I talked more about the individual kids I got to interact with and the shifts that I took part in.
Friday April 25
I want to start out with one thing, current mood: elated. Although its humid, I’m sweaty, I hardly slept last night, my back hurts, my feet hurt… it doesn’t even matter. Today one of my childhood dreams came true, I got to be a princess. I volunteered for the pirates and princesses shift this evening with Becky, Matt, Nick and Dane. The boys were pirates, although Nick joked it was a tough decision, and the girls were princesses. I got to put on a heavy pink embroidered gown, some silver sparkly flats and a crown. It was kind of a huge deal, at least to me. This was even better than being Ariel for Halloween; this was sort of like real life. After getting all dressed up we went to the pool helping set up tents with stations for girls to get temporary tattoos and makeup done. All I can say is, they loved the glitter. It was incredible to watch them open up in such a short period of time, from nervous nods and smiles to a beaming face that they showed off to their parents all done up with bright blue eye shadow, glitter wings and some lip gloss. Before coming to Give Kids the World we had talked about encountering language barriers with families and how little they affected the experience, but I found that I wasn’t able to really believe it. Tonight I had one family that spoke French and one that spoke only Spanish. The children however are able to recognize a friend, regardless of native tongue. They are trusting enough to reach out to us, strangers dressed up like princesses to try to communicate what they want. These almost completely nonverbal interactions were some of the most impactful. A smile is a smile after all. Meeting some of the volunteers was similarly incredible. This girl named Ali, a senior in high school has been spending her Friday nights participating in this particular party for a year and a half. The same simple process: set up, show, and tear down. If I hadn’t known any different I would have thought that she was doing something fairly new and exciting from how she acted. Nothing about it was tired or boring. Another volunteer as I saw on a poster and we talked about it on the tour, has volunteered over 20,000 hours with GKTW!
Saturday April 26
What surprised me the most was realizing how normal these kids are. And I know that sounds bad, but I mean it in the sense that they’re still just kids. Kids that love Disney, want to play outside and will eat ice cream at any time of the day. That’s exactly how my day started today, working at the Ice Cream Palace. I didn’t get to serve the ice cream; I was working the Breakfast Express for families that didn’t want to sit down to eat at the Gingerbread House. It was a pretty slow and uneventful shift but this evening made up for it twofold with the Big Splash Bash and working at Katie’s Kitchen. The Big Splash Bash was so much fun, full of games and unavoidably getting soaking wet. At the pool there was one thing that really stood out to me and that was the normalcy and comfort that these families felt. They were in a place where their kids weren’t the only one with a chair, or without a full head of hair. It was common to see scars or tubes or signs of treatment. It wasn’t questioned or worse, shamefully ignored. In the environment of the Big Splash Bash it was also inspiring watching some of the family dynamics. The level of support that many of the siblings had for each other was incredible. You could have expected some resentment from one sibling but that was completely absent. Playing musical hula hoops, sisters wanted to soak one another, screaming with laughter. They could have chosen anyone and yet they stuck by each other like they always have. Facing this great big unfair world with your best friend and partner in crime. There was also something to be said about the parents’ excitement for their kids’ involvement. This isn’t the place where you wonder who this rambunctious 8 year old terrorizing the pool deck belongs to. The parents flock to follow their kids, amazed it almost seems, when they’re so eager to participate. Some of them have had long nights, all of them have had long days and you wouldn’t even know it. Tonight working in Katie’s Kitchen after the pool party was over, I had a dad come up to order food. When he picked it up from the window I told him to have a good night or something of the like and he smiled and responded “I cant help but to, I’ve had the best day.” It made my night.
Sunday April 27
Today has been great. Although I didn’t really have any one on one interaction for any great length of time with any particular family or child, I felt that I got a really great overview of the power of Give Kids the World and that magic that it really does possess. I started out this morning working at the Gingerbread House serving hot food for breakfast. I loved it so much I’m doing it again tomorrow morning. This evening I worked at the Ice Cream Palace, which has been my favorite shift so far. I can’t tell you how many smiles I got to see this evening. Elation from something as simple as a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream and sprinkles. There’s power in the idea of not saying no. For these kids coming from an environment where there’s so much they cant do, cant eat, cant touch to one where they’re a normal kids again. Even in being able to choose what they want for breakfast, no limits on the number of sausages they ask for or the amount of syrup. If the kids ask for bacon and were not serving bacon, then bacon gets made and brought out to the family. That’s another thing, this special treatment isn’t just for the wish kid, its for the entire family, we don’t always know which child is the wish kid. Everyone is equally important, treated the same way. The volunteers will go to such great lengths, that if they don’t have what a child is asking for, they will go out and buy it so they can have it for them at the next meal. After working breakfast one of the ladies that worked at Disney told me that I had a very pleasant way with the families. This was one of the greatest compliments I could have received. She said that people like us made a family’s day from doing something as simple as serving them food. I responded by saying that they made my day. All my days that I have spent and will spend here I’m sure. The reason that working at the Ice Cream Palace was my favorite was because of the realization for many of these kids that they could have anything they wanted. Except cookies and cream ice cream after 9 because we ran out. One mom had kids that asked if they could have both ice cream and a milkshake, without hesitation she says to us ‘that makes triple the work for you’ with a smile on her face. Like I was remotely worried about that. The kids were overjoyed to get both. I don’t know how they felt after but they left with smiles on their faces. There a weight lifted off parents’ shoulders when they are able to relinquish control and really let their kids do what they want regardless of certain minor consequences, such as eating both ice cream and a milkshake right before bed. The power of not hearing ‘no you cant’ or even ‘I don’t know’ from us shows the power of possibility and even hope. Spreading the slogan of GKTW, ‘happiness inspires hope’.
Monday April 28
The one thought or opinion that I have had that has changed is in regard to the emotional response that I thought I would have with these families. I thought that this would be emotionally tolling and even upsetting at times. Not to sound heartless, but I haven’t felt like that at all. I haven’t been anything but extremely happy since we got here. It’s an uplifting and inspiring experience, one almost too powerful for words. I think it will be hard to assimilate back into the negativity of everyday life and the judgment and stereotyping that surrounds many illnesses and even things like minor mental or physical handicaps. I have a new perspective for it all. Part of the reason in mentioning this is because of one of my shifts in the Gingerbread House today. For dinner, I served cold food and there was a man next to me named Chris doing trays. From the way that people treated him I assumed that he was mentally and physically handicapped, if only slightly. The runner was actually quite demeaning towards him. Chris was incredible, in fact, he made my shift. He knew so much about Disney. I learned, Mickey and Minnie were created in 1928, Donald in 1934. Also that the castle is 189 feet tall. I feel like I could recite facts to you for a considerable amount of time now. Which is what he spent most of the shift doing for me. He loves Disney, as I do and I loved hearing him ramble off all these interesting facts, just conversing about Disney and then life in general. He was intelligent and independent. I felt horrible for jumping to conclusions about him. He was beyond sweet and hard working and I sincerely hope he gets his job again at Disney. Apparently they’re hiring! He even told me where to apply. Today I was also asked on a date. By a six or seven year old boy named Jesse. He wanted me to go to Disney – believe me I did too. He saw me in Memory Market and recognized me from breakfast. I recommended rides for him and it was my first close interaction with a kid. It was great to be remembered from something as simple and seemingly passing as breakfast. I really hope to see him again before either of us leaves. My only other, humorous, interaction was with my partner in the water balloon toss at the Big Splash Bash. What a cutie. He didn’t want to throw the water balloon to me, so he would walk it over, place it in my hands and run back to his spot ready to catch it. Over and over and over again. He loved it, except when a water balloon popped on his head.
Tuesday April 29
It really doesn’t seem like we’re doing that much and people are so immensely grateful. Something as simple as serving breakfast or making sure someone gets the ketchup packets that they called to order is received with numerous thanks. Even the staff at Give Kids the World is so appreciative every time we show up or leave for a shift. As funny and kind of ironic as it sounds, it takes a village. A village of volunteers, a village to change a wish kid’s life - a wish family’s life. I take pride in being part of something so much more than myself. Not that any of this is back breaking labor or really tolling on me, but I like to see the results of my actions with the smiles that I can bring to families faces and kids remembering me and handing me water balloons only to run back across the pool deck and wait expectantly for me to toss it back. I like feeling appreciated I guess you could say and I haven’t felt any other way since I’ve been here. It’s not like I’m an integral part of these families’ time here but I feel that I really am making a difference. I am making wishes come true, and nothing can top that feeling. I can’t even fathom or come to terms with 33 years of wish granting. It’s such an incredibly immense network of people and support and funding. All for the benefit of people that deserve it most. We are positively affecting the lives of not just suffering kids, but their families. Putting them at ease and providing some sort of peace, hopefully, knowing that their child got to live out their one true wish. They give these families, and still do, time and an escape from the no’s and the hospitals and the treatments. It’s therapeutic for more than the beneficiaries but also for the volunteers and active staff members. Its rewarding on both ends and that’s why it continues and why it will live on. Doing things like this provides me with such fulfillment.
Wednesday April 30
I touched on this yesterday, but the reason that these organizations exist or at least what I believe to be one of the reasons is to create a better community and world for families and volunteers internationally. The benefits are twofold, mainly for the families with wish children who have gone through said hard times but also the sense of fulfillment achieved by the volunteers. I had an emotional moment this morning while working in the castle. For some reason this wasn’t really one of the shifts I was really looking forward to but it was definitely one of the most rewarding. Today I met a boy named Jadon, and even without ever hearing his story I was strongly impacted by his family. I am very close with my family and am very grateful for my parents unwavering support of everything that I do. Today I saw an outstanding example of parenting and patience with this young boy. I’m not sure how old Jadon was, probably between 4 and 8. He was reclined in a chair with all kinds of tubing, he couldn’t really speak, couldn’t use his hands, didn’t really seem to be able to lift his head. It would have been easy for the family to just sit back and observe the pillow tree, take it for what it is and move on. They didn’t settle for anything of the sort. Every interactive moment with Hermes the owl was shared with Jadon, they would repeat things, point out things to him, make him push the button and watch the screen, They acted out more than I did. He wasn’t missing out on a single thing because of his illness. They even pushed the chair around the tree to look for the pillow at the end of the video. No shortcuts were taken. It was incredible how above and beyond they went. I can honestly say I teared up. They were simply amazing with him. A lot of other families came in that were leaving later that day and they could not stop complementing the village and the staff and us as volunteers. It really is an amazing place that impacts so many. There are over 130,000 stars in the castle. That’s amazing. One of the moms told us that she wants to start coming down for a week every year to volunteer. To give back to the place that had given her and her family so much. The castle with all the stars, is an emotional place, one that I think often causes reflection which was why so many people come back there before they leave. Village idol was also going on today. We made a VIP pass with a boy named Thomas who ended up being a judge for the show. I don’t think he stopped smiling the entire time. Even though he didn’t want to perform, it was great that he got to participate and it was clear that he enjoyed every second of it. There was another mom who within minutes of standing at the table told us that her daughter wasn’t supposed to walk or live past the age of 5. But she had done both and later that night we got to watch her dance and sing on stage. That’s a reason to brag if I’ve ever heard one.
Thursday May 1
This week I have learned about compassion. All of the families have been beyond inspiring. Seeing the staff and all the volunteers and the ends that they are willing to go to in order to ensure that these families have the experience of a lifetime is incredible. I have so much respect for these families and the patience and love of life that they have and share. This has been an incredible experience and one of the most fulfilling weeks, if not one of the best weeks, of my life. It’s hard to put in words the impact it has made on me and my life. I feel that I have become more accepting and understanding of people with disabilities and other illnesses. It also makes me thankful for my family and my own health. I really appreciate being able to be healthy enough to be able to volunteer. I’ve never felt so appreciated for such enjoyable work. It was as if I was cleaning toilets instead of helping kids make gingerbread houses at the winter wonderland party, or making elaborate banana splits, or dressing up like a princess. It’s amazing that organizations like Make-A-Wish and Give Kids the World exist and I would love to co-op with my major of graphic design with either organization. I also hope to come back and volunteer in the future. Really, I would love to come back next year with this group again. I can’t say thank you enough. It’s been magical. And I thought Florida couldn’t get any better than Disney. Boy was I wrong.
Friday April 25
I want to start out with one thing, current mood: elated. Although its humid, I’m sweaty, I hardly slept last night, my back hurts, my feet hurt… it doesn’t even matter. Today one of my childhood dreams came true, I got to be a princess. I volunteered for the pirates and princesses shift this evening with Becky, Matt, Nick and Dane. The boys were pirates, although Nick joked it was a tough decision, and the girls were princesses. I got to put on a heavy pink embroidered gown, some silver sparkly flats and a crown. It was kind of a huge deal, at least to me. This was even better than being Ariel for Halloween; this was sort of like real life. After getting all dressed up we went to the pool helping set up tents with stations for girls to get temporary tattoos and makeup done. All I can say is, they loved the glitter. It was incredible to watch them open up in such a short period of time, from nervous nods and smiles to a beaming face that they showed off to their parents all done up with bright blue eye shadow, glitter wings and some lip gloss. Before coming to Give Kids the World we had talked about encountering language barriers with families and how little they affected the experience, but I found that I wasn’t able to really believe it. Tonight I had one family that spoke French and one that spoke only Spanish. The children however are able to recognize a friend, regardless of native tongue. They are trusting enough to reach out to us, strangers dressed up like princesses to try to communicate what they want. These almost completely nonverbal interactions were some of the most impactful. A smile is a smile after all. Meeting some of the volunteers was similarly incredible. This girl named Ali, a senior in high school has been spending her Friday nights participating in this particular party for a year and a half. The same simple process: set up, show, and tear down. If I hadn’t known any different I would have thought that she was doing something fairly new and exciting from how she acted. Nothing about it was tired or boring. Another volunteer as I saw on a poster and we talked about it on the tour, has volunteered over 20,000 hours with GKTW!
Saturday April 26
What surprised me the most was realizing how normal these kids are. And I know that sounds bad, but I mean it in the sense that they’re still just kids. Kids that love Disney, want to play outside and will eat ice cream at any time of the day. That’s exactly how my day started today, working at the Ice Cream Palace. I didn’t get to serve the ice cream; I was working the Breakfast Express for families that didn’t want to sit down to eat at the Gingerbread House. It was a pretty slow and uneventful shift but this evening made up for it twofold with the Big Splash Bash and working at Katie’s Kitchen. The Big Splash Bash was so much fun, full of games and unavoidably getting soaking wet. At the pool there was one thing that really stood out to me and that was the normalcy and comfort that these families felt. They were in a place where their kids weren’t the only one with a chair, or without a full head of hair. It was common to see scars or tubes or signs of treatment. It wasn’t questioned or worse, shamefully ignored. In the environment of the Big Splash Bash it was also inspiring watching some of the family dynamics. The level of support that many of the siblings had for each other was incredible. You could have expected some resentment from one sibling but that was completely absent. Playing musical hula hoops, sisters wanted to soak one another, screaming with laughter. They could have chosen anyone and yet they stuck by each other like they always have. Facing this great big unfair world with your best friend and partner in crime. There was also something to be said about the parents’ excitement for their kids’ involvement. This isn’t the place where you wonder who this rambunctious 8 year old terrorizing the pool deck belongs to. The parents flock to follow their kids, amazed it almost seems, when they’re so eager to participate. Some of them have had long nights, all of them have had long days and you wouldn’t even know it. Tonight working in Katie’s Kitchen after the pool party was over, I had a dad come up to order food. When he picked it up from the window I told him to have a good night or something of the like and he smiled and responded “I cant help but to, I’ve had the best day.” It made my night.
Sunday April 27
Today has been great. Although I didn’t really have any one on one interaction for any great length of time with any particular family or child, I felt that I got a really great overview of the power of Give Kids the World and that magic that it really does possess. I started out this morning working at the Gingerbread House serving hot food for breakfast. I loved it so much I’m doing it again tomorrow morning. This evening I worked at the Ice Cream Palace, which has been my favorite shift so far. I can’t tell you how many smiles I got to see this evening. Elation from something as simple as a bowl of ice cream with whipped cream and sprinkles. There’s power in the idea of not saying no. For these kids coming from an environment where there’s so much they cant do, cant eat, cant touch to one where they’re a normal kids again. Even in being able to choose what they want for breakfast, no limits on the number of sausages they ask for or the amount of syrup. If the kids ask for bacon and were not serving bacon, then bacon gets made and brought out to the family. That’s another thing, this special treatment isn’t just for the wish kid, its for the entire family, we don’t always know which child is the wish kid. Everyone is equally important, treated the same way. The volunteers will go to such great lengths, that if they don’t have what a child is asking for, they will go out and buy it so they can have it for them at the next meal. After working breakfast one of the ladies that worked at Disney told me that I had a very pleasant way with the families. This was one of the greatest compliments I could have received. She said that people like us made a family’s day from doing something as simple as serving them food. I responded by saying that they made my day. All my days that I have spent and will spend here I’m sure. The reason that working at the Ice Cream Palace was my favorite was because of the realization for many of these kids that they could have anything they wanted. Except cookies and cream ice cream after 9 because we ran out. One mom had kids that asked if they could have both ice cream and a milkshake, without hesitation she says to us ‘that makes triple the work for you’ with a smile on her face. Like I was remotely worried about that. The kids were overjoyed to get both. I don’t know how they felt after but they left with smiles on their faces. There a weight lifted off parents’ shoulders when they are able to relinquish control and really let their kids do what they want regardless of certain minor consequences, such as eating both ice cream and a milkshake right before bed. The power of not hearing ‘no you cant’ or even ‘I don’t know’ from us shows the power of possibility and even hope. Spreading the slogan of GKTW, ‘happiness inspires hope’.
Monday April 28
The one thought or opinion that I have had that has changed is in regard to the emotional response that I thought I would have with these families. I thought that this would be emotionally tolling and even upsetting at times. Not to sound heartless, but I haven’t felt like that at all. I haven’t been anything but extremely happy since we got here. It’s an uplifting and inspiring experience, one almost too powerful for words. I think it will be hard to assimilate back into the negativity of everyday life and the judgment and stereotyping that surrounds many illnesses and even things like minor mental or physical handicaps. I have a new perspective for it all. Part of the reason in mentioning this is because of one of my shifts in the Gingerbread House today. For dinner, I served cold food and there was a man next to me named Chris doing trays. From the way that people treated him I assumed that he was mentally and physically handicapped, if only slightly. The runner was actually quite demeaning towards him. Chris was incredible, in fact, he made my shift. He knew so much about Disney. I learned, Mickey and Minnie were created in 1928, Donald in 1934. Also that the castle is 189 feet tall. I feel like I could recite facts to you for a considerable amount of time now. Which is what he spent most of the shift doing for me. He loves Disney, as I do and I loved hearing him ramble off all these interesting facts, just conversing about Disney and then life in general. He was intelligent and independent. I felt horrible for jumping to conclusions about him. He was beyond sweet and hard working and I sincerely hope he gets his job again at Disney. Apparently they’re hiring! He even told me where to apply. Today I was also asked on a date. By a six or seven year old boy named Jesse. He wanted me to go to Disney – believe me I did too. He saw me in Memory Market and recognized me from breakfast. I recommended rides for him and it was my first close interaction with a kid. It was great to be remembered from something as simple and seemingly passing as breakfast. I really hope to see him again before either of us leaves. My only other, humorous, interaction was with my partner in the water balloon toss at the Big Splash Bash. What a cutie. He didn’t want to throw the water balloon to me, so he would walk it over, place it in my hands and run back to his spot ready to catch it. Over and over and over again. He loved it, except when a water balloon popped on his head.
Tuesday April 29
It really doesn’t seem like we’re doing that much and people are so immensely grateful. Something as simple as serving breakfast or making sure someone gets the ketchup packets that they called to order is received with numerous thanks. Even the staff at Give Kids the World is so appreciative every time we show up or leave for a shift. As funny and kind of ironic as it sounds, it takes a village. A village of volunteers, a village to change a wish kid’s life - a wish family’s life. I take pride in being part of something so much more than myself. Not that any of this is back breaking labor or really tolling on me, but I like to see the results of my actions with the smiles that I can bring to families faces and kids remembering me and handing me water balloons only to run back across the pool deck and wait expectantly for me to toss it back. I like feeling appreciated I guess you could say and I haven’t felt any other way since I’ve been here. It’s not like I’m an integral part of these families’ time here but I feel that I really am making a difference. I am making wishes come true, and nothing can top that feeling. I can’t even fathom or come to terms with 33 years of wish granting. It’s such an incredibly immense network of people and support and funding. All for the benefit of people that deserve it most. We are positively affecting the lives of not just suffering kids, but their families. Putting them at ease and providing some sort of peace, hopefully, knowing that their child got to live out their one true wish. They give these families, and still do, time and an escape from the no’s and the hospitals and the treatments. It’s therapeutic for more than the beneficiaries but also for the volunteers and active staff members. Its rewarding on both ends and that’s why it continues and why it will live on. Doing things like this provides me with such fulfillment.
Wednesday April 30
I touched on this yesterday, but the reason that these organizations exist or at least what I believe to be one of the reasons is to create a better community and world for families and volunteers internationally. The benefits are twofold, mainly for the families with wish children who have gone through said hard times but also the sense of fulfillment achieved by the volunteers. I had an emotional moment this morning while working in the castle. For some reason this wasn’t really one of the shifts I was really looking forward to but it was definitely one of the most rewarding. Today I met a boy named Jadon, and even without ever hearing his story I was strongly impacted by his family. I am very close with my family and am very grateful for my parents unwavering support of everything that I do. Today I saw an outstanding example of parenting and patience with this young boy. I’m not sure how old Jadon was, probably between 4 and 8. He was reclined in a chair with all kinds of tubing, he couldn’t really speak, couldn’t use his hands, didn’t really seem to be able to lift his head. It would have been easy for the family to just sit back and observe the pillow tree, take it for what it is and move on. They didn’t settle for anything of the sort. Every interactive moment with Hermes the owl was shared with Jadon, they would repeat things, point out things to him, make him push the button and watch the screen, They acted out more than I did. He wasn’t missing out on a single thing because of his illness. They even pushed the chair around the tree to look for the pillow at the end of the video. No shortcuts were taken. It was incredible how above and beyond they went. I can honestly say I teared up. They were simply amazing with him. A lot of other families came in that were leaving later that day and they could not stop complementing the village and the staff and us as volunteers. It really is an amazing place that impacts so many. There are over 130,000 stars in the castle. That’s amazing. One of the moms told us that she wants to start coming down for a week every year to volunteer. To give back to the place that had given her and her family so much. The castle with all the stars, is an emotional place, one that I think often causes reflection which was why so many people come back there before they leave. Village idol was also going on today. We made a VIP pass with a boy named Thomas who ended up being a judge for the show. I don’t think he stopped smiling the entire time. Even though he didn’t want to perform, it was great that he got to participate and it was clear that he enjoyed every second of it. There was another mom who within minutes of standing at the table told us that her daughter wasn’t supposed to walk or live past the age of 5. But she had done both and later that night we got to watch her dance and sing on stage. That’s a reason to brag if I’ve ever heard one.
Thursday May 1
This week I have learned about compassion. All of the families have been beyond inspiring. Seeing the staff and all the volunteers and the ends that they are willing to go to in order to ensure that these families have the experience of a lifetime is incredible. I have so much respect for these families and the patience and love of life that they have and share. This has been an incredible experience and one of the most fulfilling weeks, if not one of the best weeks, of my life. It’s hard to put in words the impact it has made on me and my life. I feel that I have become more accepting and understanding of people with disabilities and other illnesses. It also makes me thankful for my family and my own health. I really appreciate being able to be healthy enough to be able to volunteer. I’ve never felt so appreciated for such enjoyable work. It was as if I was cleaning toilets instead of helping kids make gingerbread houses at the winter wonderland party, or making elaborate banana splits, or dressing up like a princess. It’s amazing that organizations like Make-A-Wish and Give Kids the World exist and I would love to co-op with my major of graphic design with either organization. I also hope to come back and volunteer in the future. Really, I would love to come back next year with this group again. I can’t say thank you enough. It’s been magical. And I thought Florida couldn’t get any better than Disney. Boy was I wrong.