“We Reconnected as a Family:” Sofia’s Wish
Sofia wished to meet the princesses at Disney World, and she also wished to reunite with her family.
Very Deserving of a Wish
Sofia is an active girl who loves all things pink. “We call her a character,” says her mom Michelle. “Always with a tiara, a tutu… and she’s always dancing.” When Sofia learned she could choose a big wish, it was an easy choice. Sofia wished to meet all of her favorite princesses. Sofia deserved a wish because she is battling leukemia.
She and her family are from the Dominican Republic, and a year ago, they were visiting family in the United States when Sofia became sick. In the hospital, her parents heard the words nobody ever wants to hear: “Your child has leukemia.” In one moment, everything changed.
One day, the whole family was enjoying their vacation, and the next, they were separated: Sofia and her parents in North Carolina for treatment, and her siblings in the Dominican Republic living with their grandparents. “We spent so much time apart,” says Michelle.
Happy, Happy, Happy
Sofia’s wish came at the perfect moment: right after entering the maintenance phase of treatment, when the whole family was ready to reunite and celebrate Sofia’s strength. “She is a champion,” says Michelle.
After so much time fighting leukemia, Sofia’s wish was an opportunity to simply be a kid again. She was happy, happy, happy,” remembers Michelle. For Sofia, the most fun parts of the wish were riding rollercoasters, enjoying Give Kids the World Village, and, of course, meeting all her favorite princesses.
The memories she made will last forever. “She still doesn’t stop talking about it,” says Michelle. “She tells everyone that she went to Disney, to Universal, and everything that she did.
The True Power of a Wish
But the most important part of the wish was reuniting as a family after so many months of separation. “It was the first time in almost eight months that we were able to see our other children, and Sofia was happy that she was with her family,” says Michelle.
Even Sofia’s grandparents, who took care of her brothers during treatment, were able to travel to Disney to be part of her wish. “There are no words,” says Michelle. “It was a trip that reconnected us as a family and it was like a new start.” Now that Sofia is in maintenance, she and her parents have returned to the Dominican Republic, living together as a family again.
A wish is an opportunity to have fun and be a kid again — but it’s so much more. As Michelle said, wishes like Sofia’s reconnect families, and bring them strength, hope, and joy. That is the power of a wish.