Up, Up and Away

When you ask Amelia what were some of her favorite things about her trip to Orlando, she has a really hard time answering. Because as she says, “It’s just so hard to pick because everything was so fun!”  But from mom’s perspective, here are some highlights:

• Riding rides at the theme parks including favorites Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Soarin’, Toy Story Mania and Peter Pan
• Eating ice cream at Give Kids the World (Cookies & Cream was her favorite.)
• Meeting the Disney Characters
• Playing putt-putt
• Feeding the dolphins at Sea World

But for Amelia, who has a rare condition known as Diamond Blackfan Anemia, hands down the hot air balloon ride had to be the most special moment. According to Amelia’s mom, “It was so peaceful and relaxing … seeing Amelia smile as we began floating up was just amazing. I’d say Tuesday of our trip was the best day ever. We did the hot air balloon ride in the morning, went to Disney Hollywood Studios, went back to our villa in the afternoon for a nap, had ice cream for dinner and then went back to Magic Kingdom to do more rides. We even stayed late to watch the fireworks and electrical parade. It was such a long day but everyone had so much fun and their eyes lit up as they watched the parade go past. We went to sleep that night with huge smiles on our faces knowing our kids just had the most amazing day of their lives!”

Amelia and her family, along with the Dream Factory, would like to thank Thompson Aire and owner Jeff Thompson for the amazing hot air balloon ride, dream manager Brett McCracken and director of dreams Jean Sherraden for making this one trip they’ll never forget.