Seven-year-old Brett is an artistic and creative child who loves to play soccer, while his brother, easy-going three-year-old Blake, loves football, Barney, and Mickey Mouse. Though these two brothers share different interests one thing that didn't come as a surprise to their parents, Kim and Brian, was their wish requests for trips to the magical Walt Disney WorldŽ Resort^®. These fun-filled vacations provided a chance to escape from their everyday challenges with Cystic Fibrosis with complications.

A typical day for this handsome duo includes challenges beyond the realm of most. Every morning, Brett and Blake must take their medications, practice breathing treatments, and undergo therapy . . . all before breakfast. They repeat this routine each evening. Hours at school are filled with vigilance because their disease makes them more susceptible to everyday germs. The boys also have special dietary needs that they must always think about whether at home, school, or out at a restaurant. Kim emphasizes the amount of accountability that rests on a parent when their child is sick. As she says, "Their lives literally depend on it."

Despite the daily extra concerns, Kim says that they try to maintain a sense of normalcy, "I want them to be able to enjoy all that life has to offer. Just because they have this disease doesn't mean they should feel limited."

Kim and Brian learned about the Make-A-Wish Foundation from a support group for parents with ill children, when Brett was three-years-old. They made the decision to call Make-A-Wish because his health was becoming more and more debilitated and they wanted him to experience his wish while he could fully enjoy everything. Brett had always wanted to meet his hero, "Funny" (you may know him as Goofy). Due to medication costs, financial concerns prevented the family from planning a trip on their own. "It becomes consuming because they need these [medications] to survive, but they also deserve the special, extra things," explains Kim. With medications sometimes costing thousands of dollars a month, a financial and emotional struggle is common for many wish-families.

On their wish trip, the family stayed at Give Kids The World Village and enjoyed the Magic Kingdom^®, Epcot, MGM, Universal Studios, and Sea World. When the moment finally came for Brett to meet 'Funny,' he was so overwhelmed he began to cry. As Brett sat down on the floor, Goofy got down with him and cuddled. "At that second, I knew his wish had come true," Kim said, adding "I realized the emotional impact of the wish for my little boy." Brett ended his magical day with these words to his parents as he got ready for bed, "Thank you so much for letting me see 'Funny'."

Four years later, volunteers from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan came back to the family's residence to talk to Brett's younger brother, Blake, about his wish. Blake's decision was an easy one for him and soon the family was packing once more for their favorite Florida destination. This time around, the trip was extra special because Kim and Brian had both their boys to share it with. When Blake met Mickey Mouse, "it was like you just plugged in a Christmas tree! And when he wrapped his arms around Mickey, I almost fell to pieces," said Kim. The magic of Disney continues for this family as they happily reminisce about both of these special wishes come true.

Today Kim and her son Brett regularly volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Brett loves to talk to people about his wish and Kim believes that it makes people feel good to talk to him about the Foundation. They get a chance to see where their donations go and witness the impact that a wish has on a child. "I am eternally grateful that the Make-A-Wish Foundation lets me be involved; it's the only way I know how to help give back for what they have done for us," she says.

"Being a part of Make-A-Wish is truly one of the best things I have ever done in my life and I am lucky for every day I am able to help," says Kim, adding, "I am able to make a difference and help make wishes possible for other kids and families."

Make-A-Wish Foundation extends its thanks to Kim for not only sharing her family's wish story, but for her valuable role as a volunteer for the organization. Her quest to Share the Power of a Wish^® - something of which she has first-hand knowledge - is a tremendous gift to the Foundation and our wish families.