Such a place exists at the Give Kids the World Resort Village (GKTW) in Kissimmee, Fl! GKTW is a magical place where families of terminally ill children from all over the world can stay on Wish trips to central Florida's biggest attractions: Disney, Universal, and Sea World. Each family stays in a two bedroom villa with full kitchen, stocked by the Angels at GKTW. Meals are served in the Gingerbread House and Ice Cream Palace. Families can choose from a range of entertainment options including swimming, fishing, pony rides, movies, putt putt, train rides, video games, and more.

Each night there are different events, including a Parents' Night Off and a weekly Christmas party. When children return to their villas each night, they often find surprises left by Angels for all of the children in the family. This is truly a magical place where families can forget the stress of terminal illness, and kids can just be kids. When I lived in Orlando, I volunteered as an Angel at the resort, and have been truly touched by the families that I have encountered.

I would like to share one such story with you: One night while driving the Cookie Cart (a golf cart that plays music with free cookies and drinks for families and Angels alike), I stopped to talk to a mother. While preparing her cookie and coffee, we began to talk. I asked her how her family was enjoying their trip, and she told me that they were having a wonderful time, although it was bittersweet. You see, her 8-year-old son has Muscular Dystrophy. They decided to take the Wish Trip before he began to deterioate, while he was still healthy enough to fully enjoy all that Central Florida has to offer. She told me that while they have always been honest with her son about what it means to have Muscular Dystrophy, he still did not fully understand what would happen to him.

It was hard for the family to see daily reminders of what her son's future will hold: children using walkers or wheelchairs to get around, hooked up to ventilators so that they can breathe. Her son was quick to notice this, and with the innocence of a little boy asked, "Mommy, what is wrong with these kids? They're sick! I've got problems, but these kids are sick!" Tearfully, the mother asked how do you tell your son that that could be him in the future? She said that they knew that eventually her son would die from this terrible disease, most likely before he reaches the age of 20, but how do you tell that to your 8 year old son?

Her story is similar to the stories many families have shared with the Angels. This is one of the few places where people truly understand what they are going through. For some families, their children may recover from their illness, and this trip will be a bright spot in an otherwise bleak time. For other families, this trip may represent the last happy memory in the short lives of their children. The work of the Village is truly amazing, and it is done through donations from corporations and individuals like yourselves. Currently, the village runs at full capactiy and must house families at resorts and hotels off village property. GKTW is remedying this by expanding their village. They are adding new Villas, expanding the Gingerbreak House, and adding more magical places for kids and parents to play. To support the expansion of GKTW, I will be auctioning off an autographed copy of The Highfield Mole via eBay sometime in June or July. Details will be updated frequently, so keep checking back!