Dream a little dream

“She has never really smiled,” says Tracy Hennigar about her daughter Chelsea, tears welling in her eyes. But a wonderful journey courtesy of the Children’s Wish Foundation helped to change all that.

Chelsea was born with Aortic Valve Stenosis, a congenital heart defect caused by an abnormally narrow aortic valve in the left ventricle. Her defect went undetected for three weeks post-partum as her condition worsened into heart failure and her tiny heart swelled to the size of an orange.

Doctors in Halifax performed a cardiac catheterization to widen the aortic valve with an inserted balloon and prescribed a medication never before used on children in a final effort to shrink the enlarged heart, Tracy said. “The doctors said her heart hadn’t gotten any better and to prepare for her funeral.”

A combination of medical talent, personal prayer and the strength of a small survivor might have allowed the luck for those last efforts to prevail. Indeed, Chelsea is very lucky to be here today, Tracy said. The family resides in Hantsport and “now she’s like any normal nine-year-old child.”

“Sometimes I play soccer, but I’m usually goalie ‘cause I’m really good at it,” Chelsea says. “And I can’t really run 100 kilometers a day.” Chelsea isn’t allowed to participate in extensive cardiovascular activities that stress the heart.

Tracy recognizes that her daughter’s heart defect still exists and further surgeries are ahead. A future heart valve transplant is inevitable and dealing with this life-threatening situation has proven difficult.

‘Not as strong as I thought’

“I used to think because I had been through death before that I always thought I was so strong and could cope with a lot; that there wouldn’t be anything else that would bother me. But Chelsea being ill was the one thing that topped the death of my parents when I didn’t think there could be anything else,” Tracy said. She noted that her parents died in a car accident when she was four. “I’m really not as strong as I thought I was.”

“It was really hard for mom and dad to see what was happening,” Chelsea said. “I made a wish to go to Disney World because it’s something that our family can do together."

The Children’s Wish Foundation accepted Chelsea’s wish and sent her family on a getaway from April 30 to May 7, 2007. With health insurance covered and all expenses paid, the family was given free range of Walt Disney World and a place to stay at the Give Kids The World Village in Florida.

“The trip is really special for children that have been through so much,” Tracy said. “Just seeing your children happy is the best part.”

“All the princesses came to take pictures and the lines for the rides didn’t matter because our family was allowed to skip through them,” said Chelsea’s 15-year-old sister Krista. “The trip was way better than I expected.”

“You’re my favourite princess ever,” Chelsea said to princess Jasmine, and “the best part was meeting the princesses and going on a rollercoaster,” she added with a smile.

Celebration of family strength

The Wilkie family, who live in Kings County just outside Hantsport, was all smiles when they spoke briefly with the Hennigars. Each was boarding the same plane to Disney World April 30.

The Children’s Wish Foundation granted four-year-old Mark Wilkie’s wish to meet his childhood heroes on a week getaway April 30 to May 7 at Walt Disney World. With all expenses paid, the family settled in at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in Florida.

Mark was diagnosed with leukemia June 21, 2006. He has endured eight months of intensive chemotherapy, numerous blood transfusions, temporary but life-threatening liver disease and other medical treatment and emergencies since the cancer was detected. He will undergo less intensive chemotherapies until October 2009.

“Walt Disney World was a celebration of our family strength through dealing with the cancer,” says Mark’s mother Karrie-Ann. “It was so wonderful to be able to get Mark something he really wanted.

“Seeing the children’s eyes light up and the genuine sense of belief was an unbelievable feeling,” Karrie-Ann said. “We’ve never seen our children so excited.”

Mater and Lightning McQueen, from the movie Cars, were some of the favourite characters to which Mark was introduced and he really enjoyed the time at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Karrie-Ann said.

“I liked to go outside and see what animals were there, like my giraffe friends,” Mark added.

“The best part was seeing the princesses, and Sleeping Beauty was my favourite because she had a pink dress,” said Mark’s six-year-old sister Megan. “And I rode the carousel with Mary Poppins; I loved the carousel.”

The Children’s Wish Foundation was acknowledged and thanked by both families. It helped to create happy memories for their children at Walt Disney World, a place where, as the ads say, dreams really do come true.