I mentioned this a while ago on my personal blog, but forgot that I hadn’t mentioned it on here yet.

Our family has been having an amazing experience thanks to Make A Wish.

We had several people, including staff at Belane’s clinic, mention that kids who are HIV+ automatically qualify for a “wish” through the Make A Wish foundation.

It all seemed a little too good to be true (and you know what they usually say about stuff that sounds too good to be true), so we didn’t get our hopes up. But I gave a call after some prompting from friends and family just to “feel things out”, and they jumped all over working with us.

To make a long story short, Belane wished to “hug a Princess”, and Make A Wish is sending out ENTIRE family (that is 12 if you’ve lost count) to Florida. We get three days at the Disney parks, two at Universal Studios and one at Sea World. We get to stay at this amazing place called “Give Kids the World” that is only for wish families and is loaded with things such as a 24 hour ice cream bar, miniature golf, movie theater, water slides and pools, etc.

Make A Wish has covered everything from airfare to a 15 passenger rental van to an extremely generous amount of spending money. Belane got a special hat for her to wear and we won’t have to wait on any lines, and they will have some special “Princess” things set up for her, especially with her favorite princess, Sleeping Beauty. (Who is affectionately called “Teeping Booty” with Belane’s accent/little kid talk).

Since we are three hours from the airport, they are putting us in a hotel the night before we leave and then night we return, AND they are throwing a sending off party to “help get everyone excited”. I ensured them that nothing was needed to get everyone excited…we’re there. But they insisted.

They sent a Make A Wish rep to Belane’s last appointment and blood draws, and they came equipped with oodles of pink balloons, a princess doll and a Build A Bear dog done to look just like Belane’s beloved Jazz. They have been truly awesome to work with.

I never dreamed that they would send all of us on a trip, but that is their policy…the entire immediate family is included. (Although they admitted we were the biggest family they had ever done…at least in our state).

I felt kind of funny about the whole thing at first, especially since Belane has been doing really well for the most part since coming home, however they assured us that many of the kids that get wishes go on to live long and full lives (they give wishes to kids with “life-threatening illnesses”…it does not need to be terminal), and that when we stopped to think about all of the appointments, blood draws, meds, procedures, etc. that she has endured and will have to endure, that it is a lot. And they were right…it is a lot for a little kid, and she handles it all so well. She handles it like a princess.

So, come the end of May, this big old family is going on a trip of a lifetime, and we can’t wait. I really can't believe it, and I start to cry every time I really think about it, or watch the kids watch the Disney World video, or hear Belane talk about hugging "Teeping Booty"...

Funny side story…we started talking about getting a dog while all this wish stuff started happening in January. One night Belane came up to me and said, “Mom…me want Princess Land, no thank you. Me want doggie.”

Yup, she was going to trade in her fantastic trip to Florida for a free dog from the humane society. (Once we got the dog, she decided, “Mom, me want Princess Land AND Jazz doggie.”)

A princess indeed! :)