ORLANDO, Fla. (June 2024): Abigail’s wish reveal at her school was a big surprise. She was sitting among rows of students on the gymnasium floor when the principal called her in front of everyone for a big announcement. Abigail covered her mouth with both hands in amazement as she found out that Kids Wish Network was making her dream come true, sending her family to Universal, Sea Life Aquarium and Disney! Excited screams of students echoed throughout the gym. Abigail enthusiastically shared her gratitude to Kids Wish Network, yelling on the microphone “thank you so much!”

Kids Wish Network flew her family to Orlando for her magical getaway. Even her flight was memorable, being announced as a special guest, meeting the pilots, and getting to sit in the cockpit. She also received a goodie bag celebrating her first flight.

Abigail loved her time at the Disney. It was so fun going on safari at Animal Kingdom, and their favorite park was the Magic Kingdom. Abigail’s family wanted her to have the full fairytale experience, and booked her a princess makeover at Disney’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Dressing the part also made her feel like royalty. “Once I became a princess, I kept saying please, thank you, yes ma’am, yes sir, no ma’am, no sir,” Abigail proudly shared. “It was more than just seeing the castle, I got to sit inside of Cinderella’s castle!” They also experienced more Disney magic seeing the parade and fireworks display. During the wish trip, her family also visited Sea Life Aquarium, courtesy of Merlin’s Magic Wand. 

Abigail was also treated special at her sponsored restaurants. Miller’s Ale House festively decorated her table with balloons and gave her a gift bag filled with presents. It was actually one of the manager’s days off, and they came in just to meet Abigail. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse surprised her with a giant pizookie cookie the size of a pizza! The Olive Garden also decorated her table with a festive tablecloth, flowers and balloons, and gifted her a Target gift card and Olive Garden T-shirt. All of the restaurants kindly donated her family’s meals. “We had so much fun at all of the dinners, they were amazing,” said her mom Amanda. “Going out to dinner with Abigail is never going to be fun again because she is so spoiled now,” she joked. 

Hotel accommodations were provided by Springhill Suites Orlando Theme Parks/Lake Buena Vista who went above and beyond to make Abigail’s stay wonderful. She especially loved their pool.

“She had the absolute best time on her wish, Abigail has talked about it nonstop,” said her mom. “My favorite part was seeing her face during everything. When we walked into the Magic Kingdom the first day she just grinned the whole time we were there. She had a blast!”

When Abigail was born, she was put on a ventilator, and within hours was flown to a children’s hospital to have her first surgery. Two days later, she had open heart surgery to repair her pulmonary arteries. She also had to have her aorta cut and stretched to the size it should have been at birth. In the future, she may need a stint to help hold everything open correctly. Besides her diagnosis of transposition of the great vessels, it was later discovered that she also had cerebral palsy. She wears a brace on her wrist, and also has ankle braces that she utilizes as necessary. Abigail undergoes physical and occupational therapies.

Many Thanks 

Kids Wish Network could not have provided this wish to Abigail without the help of Springhill Suites Orlando Theme Parks/Lake Buena Vista, Merlin’s Magic Wand, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, Miller’s Ale House, and the many supporters who believe in making wishes come true for kids who need hope.

Sponsors:

SpringHill Suites Orlando Theme Parks/Lake Buena Vista

www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/mcoxw-springhill-suites-orlando-theme-parks-lake-buena-vista

FB: https://www.facebook.com/SpringhillOrlandoThemeParks/ 

IG: marriottbonvoy 

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

https://www.bjsrestaurants.com/locations/fl/lake-buena-vista?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=google_my_business 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/BJsRestaurants/ 

IG: bjsrestaurants 

Miller’s Ale House

https://millersalehouse.com/locations/orlando-i-drive/ 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/MillersAleHouseOrlandoIDrive/ 

IG: millersalehouse 

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

https://www.olivegarden.com/locations/fl/orlando/orlando-lake-buena-vista/1082 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/OliveGardenOrlandoLakeBuenaVista 

IG: olivegarden 

Visit www.kidswishnetwork.org to learn about our different programs. Kids Wish Network has been making dreams come true for children since 1997. We are dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children experiencing life-altering situations. We started with the single purpose of granting wishes to children suffering from life-threatening conditions but have since created additional programs to benefit kids nationwide, including Hero of the Month, Project Toy Drop, Holiday of Hope Gift Banks, and A Child Forever Funeral Assistance. 

Every kid’s wish is worth the investment because every wish changes a life.

If you would like to sponsor a child’s wish, or if you know a child who is suffering from a life-threatening illness and may be in need of Kids Wish Network’s wish-granting services, please call 727-789-0008.