Make A Wish

I realize it’s been a while since I last made an entry.  I wonder if it’s in my mind, or if it’s another witness to how much spiritual help I received in the past few years.  It seems that even though I have less stress and more time, I’m less productive than I was during the past 2 years.

I had a previous entry on Make A Wish and the complicated feelings I had at the beginning of Charlotte’s cancer diagnosis.  As we started her cancer journey, I could have cared less that Charly was eligible for a wish.  It didn’t matter, because Charly wasn’t dying.  Those negative & irrational feelings mellowed and changed, once I knew Charlotte’s treatment was going well.  However, Sean, Charlotte and I were in no hurry to pursue Charlotte’s wish.  We were pretty busy with all the medical appointments (both Sean’s and Charly’s), and Charlotte really never wished for anything we couldn’t easily provide ourselves.  But there was one person who kept chanting, “Wish for Disney” whenever the subject came up.  We’ll just say this person’s name rhymed with “My homey”.

In all the literature and counseling, the support materials caution making time for the siblings of cancer kids.  Sean and I tried to have one-on-one time with Naomi every other weekend.  I took Naomi with me on a business trip to Hawaii.  We had a single day of play on Oahu and she only had to suffer through a dental meeting the next day and a long flight home as a price for the trip.  If you ask me, I would say we were pretty good at giving her time and attention.  She would probably disagree – especially when she is having a pity party.  

Knowing Naomi's desire to go to Disney World, I made arrangements in spring 2013 for us girls to go to Orlando for 3 days.  We spent a half-day at Magic Kingdom and a day at Epcot, and some time at the hotel pool – Charly’s favorite place.  While preparing for the trip, Charlotte and I were checking out websites of suggested activities to do while in Orlando. We stumbled onto the website for Discovery Cove, a SeaWorld property.  Charlotte saw that she could swim with dolphins, and she excitedly asked if we could go.  I told her we couldn’t.  I hadn’t rented a car, and most of our trip time was going to be spent at the Disney parks.  We wouldn’t be able to do that on this trip.  That’s when she looked me in the eye and told me, “I know what I want to use my wish for!  I want to swim with dolphins”.

This March, when we told people we were going on Charlotte's Make A Wish trip, many people were confused and asked, wasn’t Charlotte’s treatment over with?  Yes, she finished chemo in October 2013.  Her wish came around so late because of many reasons.  About 3 months went by where we mentioned to the Child Life Specialist at Primary’s that Charlotte was ready to get in touch with Make A Wish.  Treatment days in the oncology clinic are so long, and the staff are so busy, I never felt like I wanted to chase down the Child Life Specialist and remind her she was going to bring me paperwork four hours ago. I see the kids needing help being entertained while they received chemo, and I felt they were working on more important things. 

When the paperwork was finally submitted and we had our first meeting with MAW, it was September 2013.  

We gave the coordinators 4 date options that would work around the girls’ school schedule and my work schedule.  Given the nature of the wish, I was extremely grateful it wasn’t fulfilled until Spring of the following year.  It was March, and on the morning of the dolphin swim was 55 degrees!  I can only imagine how cold it would have been in December.

Start of the Trip

To kick off the trip, Charlotte had a party at the Make A Wish Utah building.   We invited friends and family to enjoy cake, take a tour of the facility, and watch Charlotte’s star-raising ceremony.  The kids’ favorite part seemed to be riding the elevator up and down the two-story building, much to the adults’ chagrin.

The very next day, we flew to Orlando.  MAW arranged for a rental car and hotel at a Fairfield Inn by SeaWorld.  We arrived about 5pm at the hotel and the girls felt starved, as we flew over the lunch hour.  It makes me smile to hear them complain about how tired and hungry they feel, and how we only have time for dinner before going to bed, because I get to experience a trip like that pretty often.   We were planning on going to bed so early because the next day was the dolphin swim, and Charlotte was supposed to be there at 7:30 in the morning.  With the two-hour time change AND the Daylight Savings Time change on the same day, it would be like checking in at 4:30am back home.

Sunday morning, we rolled out of bed and got ourselves ready for her adventure.  It was quite chilly, but the forecast predicted it would get up into the 70s by noon.  The park, Discovery Cove, was beautiful.  The parking lot was small – I’ve seen larger Home Depot parking lots.  The lobby was gorgeous.  Beautiful sculptures and artwork of dolphins surrounded the room, and hung from the ceiling.  Each family was greeted and brought to an individual check-in agent.  They created photo ID badges for each individual in the party, and reviewed the schedule for the day.  Sean and Charlotte were going to do the Trainer for the Day program.  Naomi and I were to explore on our own. 

While waiting for the trainers to pick up Charly and Sean, a greeter came and gave Charlotte a stuffed dolphin.  It couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.  Charly was upset that she hadn’t eaten breakfast yet (it was included as part of the tour), and she was getting hangry (hungry-angry).  Charly loves her stuffies, and the dolphin put stars in her eyes.  Even better, she was told that when she figured out what she was going to name it, she could get a photo ID badge made up with its name on it.  The next few minutes were spent trying to figure out a name.

Sean and Charly were then collected by the trainers and Naomi and I were pointed the way to breakfast.  The park is all-inclusive – breakfast, lunch, and all the snacks and drinks you’d like.  They had a cafeteria building and you could load up as much as you’d like on your tray.  The real treat was being able to just go up to the snack bar and grab a warm cookie or pretzel, or helping yourself to a slushie.  Charlotte’s biggest thrill was to ask for an ice cream bar and the response was “Strawberry or Chocolate?”  

While Charlotte and Sean went to the back areas and experienced all the glories of being an animal trainer, Naomi and I were escorted to our family cabana overlooking the dolphin pool.  There was a basket full of snacks and a fridge full of sodas.  Our cabana boy asked what beers or other alcoholic drinks we liked to have stocked in the fridge – like I said, all-inclusive.  We explained we weren’t drinkers, and he led us to the wetsuit areas to get our wetsuits and a gift bag with complimentary snorkels and masks.  The park requires all swimmers to wear wetsuits or their neoprene vests while in the water.  There are 3 major swim areas.  The first is a warm-water lazy river that goes by animal exhibits.  A glass wall will separate you from the swimming otters, and it’s almost like swimming with them.  The river also winds into some of the park aviaries.  Charlotte was thrilled/horrified when we swam through the aviary and a parrot pooped into the water. 

The second major pool area was for the dolphin experiences.  It was a tri-fingered pool and our cabana overlooked the pool, where Naomi and I watched other groups do their dolphin swims.  We were to meet up with Sean and Charlotte at 11:30, so we went exploring.  All along the pool edges, they had man-made sandy beaches and sun chairs.  Naomi and I spent an hour tanning.

The final pool area was a salt-water pool filled with rays and tropical fish.  A glass wall separated part of the pool from the shark tank, so you could swim “next to” the sharks.  Charlotte adored taking her snorkeling gear and swimming there.

Naomi and I met up with Charlotte and Sean, and together we were able to be towed into shore by a dolphin by holding onto the dorsal fin.  We also were able to pet the dolphin and listen to those amazing clicks, squeals, and raspberries that they make.  No cameras were allowed, all pictures were taken by the professional camera crew.  I absolutely wasn’t going to pass buying those up.

The trainers were really cool. They started giving me a heads-up where I could catch up with Sean and Charlotte so I could get some photos.  We didn’t catch them to eat lunch together, but I was able to shoot some photos of them feeding the sharks, and the extra bonus dolphin ride that they added at the end of their day.  Sean and Charlotte were released from trainer duty at 1pm and those lovely trainers took Naomi and me to the back areas to show us the new baby dolphin – only 3 weeks old.  They spent almost an hour answering our questions and I think Naomi is seriously considering becoming a dolphin trainer.

Sean was pooped by the time we reunited, so he hung out at the hammock in our cabana, and Charlotte practically dragged me to get to the lazy river.  The park closed at 5, and honestly, it was too short a day.  I definitely would love to return again.  I cannot describe Charlotte’s incandescent joy that just BEAMED from her face the entire day.

The next day, we spent at Sea World. When you buy a Discovery Cove ticket, your entrance to Sea World and it’s water park, Aquatica, is included for the next 14 days.  Charlotte had souvenir money burning a hole in her pocket.  Every stuffed animal she saw, she needed to bring home.  I kept trying to delay her purchases until later in the day – so I wouldn’t be carrying a backpack full of stuffies.  MISTAKE!  There was a little brown seal that I convinced her to wait to buy, certain we would see another sometime in the day.  By the time we returned to the kiosk, it was closed – 20 minutes before the park closed.  Charlotte’s face was crushed – tears and all.  We hit every gift shop on our route out of the park.  The final shop, I told the shop clerk my dilemma, and he told me where to find the one shop that carried every stuffed animal sold in the park.  Charlotte and I took off running.  With minutes to spare, we found the store and the coveted little brown seal. 

Wednesday was Disney day.  We started out in Epcot, but Charly was ready to go back to the hotel by noon.  A bribe of another stuffed animal – an elephant this time – we were able to stretch another 4 hours out of her at the Animal Kingdom park.  I also demanded she ride in a stroller, all that walking was getting to be too much for her.  After we returned to the hotel, I told Sean he either would take Naomi back to Magic Kingdom until its midnight close time, or I would.  Make A Wish gave us a special genie pass that allowed us to skip straight into the fastpass lane – no waiting.  The current handicap policies by Disney isn’t that nice!  Sean ended up taking Naomi back to Magic Kingdom. Charly and I spent the evening hours at the hotel pool.  When we returned to the room after, we both passed out.  These parks are a lot of exercise!    

After 3 days of parks, Charly was pretty worn out.  I won’t lie.  Pushing her around in a stroller the day before seriously left me sore.  We slept in.  Charlotte and I got up before Naomi and Sean, so we had breakfast and went to the pool.  After a couple hours, we all went and enjoyed a movie – SpongeBob SquarePants.  I fell asleep during the movie.  Definitely a first.  Naomi then got her wish – she perused Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, then the Vans and Quicksilver stores at the mall.  We celebrated the final night in Florida with an excellent dinner at the Bonefish Grill.   It’s a treat for Sean, because I hate the smell of fish, and don’t cook it at home.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to enjoy Charlotte’s wish with her.  It was truly a celebration of the milestone of her chemo completion.