GIVE KIDS THE WORLD

 There was only one thing that kept Jasmine's attention for more than a couple of minutes, and that was The Disney Channel. She watched HigglyTown Heroes, Jo Jo's Circus, Little Einsteins, and The Wiggles, but her favorite show was The Mickey Mouse Show. She recognized his voice immediately and would smile and dance to the music. It was fun to watch her when the theme songs to her favorite shows would come on, because her face would light up with recognition. Jasmine was chosen by The Marty Lyon Foundation to make a wish, so we knew what she would say if she could talk. She loved all the Disney Characters, so they gave us a trip to Disney World! It wasn't just a trip to Disney World, it was a trip to Give Kids The World. This is a gated community in Kissimmee, Florida, which is run by mostly volunteers for children with serious illnesses. Although Jasmine wasn't terminal, it is also for children who struggle on a daily basis to have a normal childhood. This trip was the most magical trip that anyone could imagine. First, they made all the preparations for us, finding out when was a good time for us to go. They bought airline tickets for me, Jack, Jill, and Jasmine. There was a car to pick us up the day of the trip and drove us to the airport. There to meet us at the airport in Florida was a staff member from Give Kids The World, holding up a big sign with Jasmine's name on it. From there they gave us all our instructions, gave us a rental van for the week, and off we went. When we got to GKTW, we were let in through the secured entry, and went to check in. The check in center was so cute and friendly, as were all the people. They gave us a key to our villa, along with a stuffed Mickey for Jasmine, and tickets to all the parks we wanted to go to. The villa had a kitchen, big living room, two bedrooms,a bathroom and another huge handicapped accessible bathroom. The refrigerator was stocked with milk, juice, coffee cake and snacks. Right outside our villa was a pool. There was a train that drove around the town, picking people up right at the end of the driveway, and driving them to The Gingerbread House to eat, or to just take you for a ride. Jasmine loves train rides, so we did that alot. There was so much right there that if we never went anywhere, we still would have had a good time. I am sure that people who bring very sick children stay right on the premises and have the time of their life. There was another pool on the other side of where we stayed that had a walk in handicapped entry. There was a water park for wheelchairs. Everything there was free. You had three meals a day, all family style and something for everyone. There was an all day Pizza Parlor that delivered to your door. One of my favorite places was The Ice Cream Palace, where from seven or eight o'clock in the morning until the evening, you could go in and have an ice cream sundae, banana split, or any kind of ice cream you desired.They also had sandwiches, chips, hot dogs,drinks and snacks if you were looking for a light lunch. Walking around we discovered many more pleasant surprises. There was a little movie theatre, where they gave you popcorn, icees, and candy for the show. There was The Castle of Miracles,which on the outside had a carousel ride, and inside looked just like a real castle. Inside, they wrote Jasmine's name on a star, and high up on the castle ceiling were thousands upon thousands of shiny stars with past visitors names on them. It was the most beautiful and moving thing I have ever seen. On certain days you could go for a pony ride, which Jasmine did and loved. After the ride was over, they gave her a cowboy hat. They didn't miss a thing! There was a butterfly garden, miniature golf, a teen lounge with computers and a big television, a boat room where it looked like you were on a ship and drove the remote control boats that were out on the water. There was a room with a whole town with model trains. All you had to do is press a button and the town would come to life, with the trains going up and down through mountains and tunnels.There was a fishing dock, and a boat to take you for a ride on the lake. There was even a game room with a pool table.Everything was wheelchair accessible, which made things so much easier for many people. My favorite place was The Chapel. It was a quiet room where you could go in and sit and thank God for all that is good. There was soft music playing, and it made me feel calm and happy. They had a book for the families to write in, and encouraged everyone to write something in it. Many of the entries were beautiful but sad. Every morning there was a little coffee wagon that would come around to all the villas and offer coffee, donuts, bagels, cereal and fruit. We would go out to the parks in the morning, come back in the afternoon and take a break and swim, and then go back in the evening after we were rested. When we would return from our afternoon in the park, everything in the villa would be cleaned. On the kitchen table, there would always be a gift for Jasmine. I am not talking about a dollar store gift. They were all unbelievable toys and stuffed animals. The generosity was overwhelming. Every night was a different theme, a life sized Candy Land Game one night, Christmas another, including a visit with Santa in the big castle, and of course, a gift! Jasmine had VIP treatment in all the parks, having private meetings with her favorite characters. We had a special pass to go inside when we needed to change her or feed her. There we were offered drinks, and a cool, quiet place to just sit and rest. We didn't have to wait in any lines, and had a front row seat to the parade in Magic Kingdom followed by the spectacular fireworks. The whole time we were there, all I kept thinking about was the fact that she could have ended up in a hospital for her whole life, and would never have had this experience. It made me feel really good. I also felt good because she had just turned four years old and when we returned, we were going to formally adopt Jasmine!