Dream
Story Archives
Chelsea was diagnosed at the age of two with a rare cancer-like disease called Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH). In the beginning of 2008,
Chelsea underwent six months of chemotherapy and received countless X-rays, blood tests, IV’s and scans. During that time, her parents
witnessed their once healthy and energetic little girl suffer through losing her beautiful hair and undergo the painful treatment.
Chelsea’s dream was to meet all of her favourite Disney princesses. With the help of The Rainbow Society, Chelsea’s family was able to
arrange a
trip to Orlando, Florida in November of 2008 to experience the trip of a lifetime that included meeting all of the princesses, having a princess makeover, eating breakfast at Cinderella’s Castle and much, much more.
The Rainbow Society received a letter from her very grateful father describing the wonderful time that both Chelsea and her family had at Disney World:
Chelsea’s trip was an experience that exceeded any expectations we may have had. It is something that both she and her sister, Chloe, talked about for months leading up to the time we left. We visited Disney’s Magic Kingdom twice, Animal Kingdom, Sea World, and Universal Studios. By the end of the week Chelsea and Chloe were able to meet and take pictures with every single princess!
The two highlights of the trip for Chelsea were getting her princess makeover at the Bibbity Boppity Boutique and meeting Ariel, and getting
tucked in for bed on our last day in Florida by Buttons, Chelsea’s favourite mascot from Give Kids the World.
Chelsea’s dream trip was something that could not have been replaced by anything in terms of fun, and was both healing and rewarding to her
and the rest of the family for the tough year and a half that passed. The experience with Disney and Give Kids the World was close to being the
opposite of the fear, diagnosis, sadness, testing, needles, and treatment that Chelsea has endured. Chelsea was so brave during all these times
and was rewarded in a way that was beyond even her greatest wishes.
Thank you Rainbow Society!
The Kapilik Family

Madison is a beautiful young girl who dreamed beyond her illness. Two years ago, at the age of eight, her family was hit with the most devastating news – Madison was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness called Aplastic Anemia, an extremely rare blood condition that has left her with a very low red and white blood cell and platelet count. Below is a letter The Rainbow Society received from her mom and dad chronicling her journey through her battle with her illness up to her dream trip at Disney World:
Madison was a very active child prior to becoming sick. She was interested in sports, games, and she played outside all the time.
So it was out of character when I noticed that she started to show a significant drop in her energy level. She also started to have long
lasting nosebleeds and appear bruised and pale. I called her pediatrician thinking perhaps she had some low iron. When the doctor heard all the symptoms he wanted to see Madison right away to run some tests.
I will never forget receiving the terrible news only one hour later. My husband was contacted by her doctor as I wasn’t even home yet. He had the awful duty of telling me that Madison’s blood work was severely abnormal, and she had an appointment at CancerCare Manitoba the following day.
That first weekend felt like we were in a bad dream as Madison was put through so many tests; blood work, transfusions, and a bone marrow aspiration to determine whether she had Leukemia or another rare blood disorder. When the results came back, we were told that Madison had Aplastic Anemia, which is an extremely rare blood condition where the bone marrow no longer has enough cells to produce white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Madison was at extreme risk for major infections and bleeds.
The cause for this disease is unknown.
As a parent, you can’t accept this. There must be some reason why. You constantly seek answers where there are none. I asked myself “Is it the food I’m cooking… a cleaning product I bought…” I wanted some answers. I wanted there to be a reason, a cause, someone or something to blame. But there wasn’t and isn’t. We were reassured that there was nothing we could have done to prevent this from happening. Yet, we still had to watch our daughter suffer.
The doctors suggested a bone marrow transplant, as this is the ideal treatment for this type of disease. Unfortunately, there were no family members that matched Madison’s HLA type. So, over the next year our little girl had numerous transfusions and treatments. One of the treatments was called an in-hospital immunosuppressant treatment, which lasted for 10 days, in an attempt to restart her bone marrow.
Through all this treatment, Madison was not able to participate in any type of sports due to possible bleeding. She had to be cautious about germs and was admitted into the hospital multiple times when she would contract a virus. She was so tired most of the time. It was extremely tough for all of us not to know if her life would ever be “normal” again.
Finally, in February 2008, Madison’s blood counts began to rise. Special thanks to those who donate to the Canadian Blood Services who gave Madison and people like her a fighting chance. As she began to recover in the spring, I felt like a cloud was lifting for us.
And to top up this wonderful news, Madison found out that she was eligible for a dream from The Rainbow Society. This past summer, Madison’s dream of swimming with the dolphins came true! She also got to meet some of her favourite characters such as Captain Jack Sparrow and Minnie Mouse. Our week in Disney World is truly what dreams are made of. We were all so grateful for this wonderful opportunity to relax and make some fantastic memories together.
THANK YOU SO MUCH RAINBOW SOCIETY! And our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who contributes to this wonderful charity.

Cailyn is 11 years old and has been through so much in the past several years, fighting her
battle with
cancer; however, through it all she has kept up the most positive spirit and is such a charming young lady. Cailyn was so happy when her dream to visit Mickey Mouse in Disney World came true this summer. She
and her family stayed at the Give Kids the World Village and had so much fun at the resort alone that Cailyn’s parents had to drag the family away so that they could enjoy the rest of the attractions
at Disney World.
Cailyn’s favourite memories included visiting the Enchanted Castle and the Ice Cream Palour, where she
had the pleasure of experience eating ice cream for breakfast.
The Disney Trip was over and above anything that Cailyn and her family could have imagined and they received such warmth and kindness from all the staff and at Disney World that those memories will stay
with them always.
Tanis is a girl with a contagious smile who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and is quadriplegic.
Her
dream was to go on an airplane for the very first
time
and visit Disney World with her family. Tanis had her dream realized this summer when she and her family went to
Disney World to visit
Mickey and the gang.
They enjoyed seven fun-filled days at the Give Kids
the World Village,
a non-profit resort
that met all the families needs and specifically Tanis’ needs.
While Tanis and her family enjoyed many of the
sites and activities in Disney World and Orlando,
including a trip to
Coco Beach
where the family experienced seeing the ocean for the first time.
Tanis also enjoyed meeting The Simpsons
Family
and Blue from Blues Clues, but her most
memorable moment was getting a chance to meet her childhood hero,
Barney the Dinosaur
at Universal Studios.
Coleton is such a courageous little boy who has been through so much in his young life. Please read the story below from Coleton's mom and dad:
"Let me introduce you to our son and superhero, Coleton.
He is only 4 years old and is battling cancer. Already in his short life, he has been through three years of chemotherapy, countless needles, and numerous trips to the dreaded emergency room. And still, you will never see him without a smile...
Coleton was really excited when he found out that he was eligible for a dream from The Rainbow Society. When we met with Grace Thomson from the organization, Coleton's exact words were "I wish I could see Spider Man with my best friend Iggy". Iggy is actually his cousin, whom he adores.
It was not a surprise to hear those words come out of Cole’s mouth as Spiderman is his hero. Whenever the treatments were more than he could bear, we told him to pretend that he was Spiderman to get him through.
After the initial meeting with The Rainbow Society, everything seemed to happen so fast. Just like that, we were off to Disney World to meet the web crawler himself. It was such a relief to have everything go so smoothly. When we landed in Florida, we were greeted at the airport and ushered to our waiting rental car. And then it was time for our stay at Give Kids the World Village.
Well, let me tell you, Coleton and Iggy had found their paradise. Ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Ice Cream Palace (ok it was my paradise as well), Village Idol, Village Christmas, and Village Festivals. Every day, all day... the village was just pure magic.
We visited all the amazing parks and just loved it, but Coleton and Iggy were still waiting to meet the web crawler. Our mission was to track down Spiderman and corner him for a photo and autograph. We searched and searched and there was no sign of the elusive web slinger.
"THERE'S SPIDERMAN” shouted Coleton, pointing at a cardboard cut-out of his favorite super hero. There was a sign that said photos with Spiderman at 1:30 pm. Coleton and Iggy ran to the line-up, where we were all promptly intercepted by Universal Staff, and escorted out of the line. We were told to wait out of sight, behind the Doomsday ride.
A few minutes later, we heard some roaring engines, getting louder and louder, and they were approaching our location, and…WOW!! The entire Marvel Superhero ensemble road in on quad runners for a private meet and greet just for Coleton.
Coleton was totally speechless! But he managed to give Spiderman and big hug, and a high-five! Of course we took as many pictures as possible to remember this moment, even though Coleton was still astonished and without words. Coleton was thrilled when Spiderman gave him an autographed picture!
When Spidey and his crew left, Coleton finally spoke up, "I can't believe my wish came true. I got to meet Spider Man." It is hard to put to words how much this dream meant to Coleton and our family. Thank you to The Rainbow Society and all the donors for your kindness and generosity which allowed Coleton to meet his superhero."
Zachary
A Mother's Letter:
Why Dreams Are Important
"A parent's greatest fear is the loss of their child. Imagine, in one brief moment, your life is turned upside down and your greatest fears are a possibility. As a parent, your job is to protect your child, and when you are no longer steering that ship, your life is out of control.
You desperately want your life back and for things to be “normal” again. Life is no longer “normal,” and that is your new reality. Zachary is our inspiration. It is truly amazing that a twelve-year-old could experience what he experienced and maintain such courage, strength and hope…. Here is his story…….
One weekend Zachary started to notice some bruising…..even the shower made him bruise. Very quickly we found out that Zachary had severe aplastic anemia, which is an extremely rare blood condition and the cause is unknown. Aplastic anemia is when the bone marrow no longer has enough cells to produce white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Zachary was at extreme risk for major infections and bleeds. The only treatment for Zachary was a bone marrow transplant. By the end of that week Zachary was hospitalized.
The scariest part of this chapter is that Zachary bled into his brain. I’m sure everyone on that health care team could feel the pain that Zachary was experiencing. It was truly a nightmare. Zachary required emergency brain surgery to stop the bleeding. We were kept well informed at how risky this surgery would be. Thank God (and the surgeon) that Zachary made it through. They needed to move quickly now with the bone marrow transplant while there was still time.
We were extremely fortunate that Jay, Zachary’s 15-year-old brother, was a sibling match. Jay is definitely our hero! The best way to describe a bone marrow transplant is that it is a miracle. Every day we watched the blood levels to see if the bone marrow was growing. The day we heard that the bone marrow transplant was working was one of the best days of our lives. After several months Zachary was able to come home. We had to be extremely careful that he did not get an infection of any kind. He could not go to public places and needed to be tutored at home. It took about a year before Zachary would be well enough to enjoy his dream.
Our meeting at Rainbow Society was amazing. The staff told Zachary that Rainbow Society was there to make his dreams come true. Zachary was speechless. Zachary wanted to go to Disney World and he wanted his brother Jay to swim with the dolphins, because Jay loved the ocean wildlife. It is difficult to describe the feelings we had after that meeting. To realize that people, who don’t even know you, are so kind and thoughtful. To allow a child and their family to experience some fun after such a challenging year was life altering…To allow a child to dream….
Our week in Disney World was definitely what dreams are made of. There is a special village called “Give Kids the World” for wish families and Zachary received the ‘royal’ treatment. We were able to enjoy Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and Medieval Knights. Our greatest day was at Discovery Cove where we snorkeled with salt water fish, stingrays and swam with the dolphins. It was paradise!!
Zachary’s dream has rejuvenated our family. When something this difficult happens to your family it initially brings them together, but the stress takes its toll over time, and you feel that things start to fall apart. Zachary’s dream came at the right time and has left us with great memories that will remain with us forever… No matter what life deals us!
Words can not express our appreciation for making Zachary’s dream a reality. At a moment when you feel your family is falling apart… it is the glue that keeps us together again. Thank you to everyone who donates… You are our unsung heroes!"
Eva is a tender hearted teenager that has battled through a kidney transplant, as well as having tumours removed from her thyroid. Even though this young girl has been through a lot, it didn't stop her from dreaming about a bedroom makeover decorated with dolphins and seashells. When Eva opened the door to her new room, all she could say was "WOW! This is more than I could wish for. It is so amazing!"
A special thanks to the Grant Design Group for treating Eva like a special client and giving her a dream bedroom makeover!
Angela is a precious three year old girl and loves to dress up like a princess. Sadly, Angela was diagnosed with cancer at the age of two. Please read the letter below from Angela's mom on what a dream come true meant for their family:
"My husband and I were blessed with two beautiful daughters. We had the perfect family. That was until July of 2005. We were shocked and terrified when our youngest daughter, two-year-old Angela, was diagnosed with a rare, very aggressive cancer called neuroblastoma. We just couldn’t believe it. The next year was very difficult - it felt like we were in the hospital all the time due to doctor appointments, chemotherapy treatments, surgeries, radiation, pills, and a stem transplant. Our whole family was affected greatly by this horrible disease, especially Angela and her very protective five-year-old sister, who missed her Mommy and little sister terribly when we had to be in the hospital.
When Angela turned three, and was in the middle of her treatment, we learned that she was eligible for a dream from The Rainbow Society. After Angela was done her transplant and radiation, we had to wait about six months for her immune system to recover enough to be out in public. During this time, Angela decided that her dream was to see Cinderella and Winnie the Pooh. Angela, and our entire family, was given something happy to look forward to during a very hard time. After meeting with The Rainbow Society, Angela’s dream trip to Disney World was booked for September.
Everyone, especially the little girls, were so excited. Counting the sleeps until our first plane ride and first vacation was such a happy time. When the day finally arrived to leave for Florida, all the terror and sadness of the last year gave way to joy, excitement, and anticipation of a real adventure.
The week that we spent in Disney World was the best week of our lives. We had so much fun meeting the princesses, and of course, Cinderella and Winnie the Pooh. Angela was so amazed that she was actually meeting her favourite characters that she has seen in books and on TV. Amazingly, it was easy to forget what Angela and our family had been through to have this dream granted. We were just having too much fun every moment of each day.
Angela’s dream come true has left our family with a happy ending to a very scary story. We are so grateful to The Rainbow Society and everyone involved with this wonderful organization. You made it possible for Angela’s dream to come true! No matter what happens now, we will have happy family memories that will last forever.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!"
Carolina is a such a sweet and talented young lady and she was so gracious and excited when her dream to have her very own electric guitar came true! Here is a letter from Carolina:
"Cancer is harder for some people than it is for others, but that’s the point it’s still hard. I had thyroid cancer and I dealt with it in a very logical way. In my head it was ok that I had it, I just wanted it gone. Now that it's gone, still feel the side effects. That’s what gets me down about Cancer, that I won't be the same me.
I’m more forgetful, and I get these bouts of fatigue etc. and regardless if they seem like things someone can get adjusted to, it’s made a change in my life that I could live without. It's when these feelings are overwhelming that my guitar comes into play. Concentrating on it instead of the side effects has made life better, and which kid doesn’t want to be a rock star?
Thanks to all the people involved on giving me my sweet sounding distraction."
Aidan is only three years old and has endured more than most of us will
ever know. He was born with multiple heart defects and was diagnosed
with cancer at only 11 months old. Aidan has bravely undergone 8
heart surgeries, and has endured many treatments, needle pokes,
and hospital stays. Although Aidan has gone through so much, he
has also experienced the magic of a wish turned into a dream come
true.
A letter from Aidan's family:
"Simple words cannot express our gratitude for the dream that
you granted our son, Aidan. Although we had anticipated his reaction
to meeting his all-time hero, Cowboy Woody from "Toy Story",
it was beyond our expectations. The look in his eyes and the smile
that stretched across his face was too much for us to bear, bringing
tears to our eyes. I can only describe the look on his face as
absolute thrill and amazement. Aidan hugged Woody so hard and
long that we thought we would never be able to tear him away.
Aidan's dream come true was the greatest experience that
he will ever have. I am so grateful that he could experience something
so special, and that we were able to be a part of it. Aidan's
dream trip could never be topped in a million years!
Thank you again for granting Aidan's dream. Your organization,
staff, volunteers, and sponsors are the best people in the world
and will always hold a special place in our hearts!"
Mykayla was so thrilled when her dream to meet Donald Duck came true! Here is Mykayla's letter to everyone that helped make her dream come true:
"My name is Mykayla and I am 7 years old. When I first got sick I think I was 4 years old. I remember that I had lots of fevers and pain in my tummy and back, and I had to throw up a lot. I also had very bad headaches. When the doctor told me and my family that I had cancer, I was very scared. I didn’t understand what Leukemia was. Then I had to go through a treatment called chemotherapy which didn’t make me feel better at all, but the doctor said it would make my cancer go away. The chemotherapy made me very tired and I felt sick in my tummy, and I was very sad when all of my hair fell out.
When I heard that the Rainbow Society was going to give me a wish, I was very happy and excited! I couldn’t make up my mind what I wanted to do. Then I finally decided to go to Disney World to meet Donald Duck!
I had a great time on my trip! I went on the river raft ride in the Animal Kingdom, and got really wet. It was lots of fun!! I also got to go on a big cruise ship and I even got to meet the captain of the ship. His name was Captain John. He sure was nice!
I was so excited when I finally met Donald Duck and Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch). After meeting Stitch I decided that he was way better than Donald Duck! Now he’s my favourite. At the Blue Lagoon, I got to meet Andy. He was a dolphin. I danced with him, and even got to kiss and hug him! That was really fun being with Andy.
I want to thank everybody at the Rainbow Society for helping make my dream come true. Now I am all done my treatments, and I am all better, thanks to the doctors, nurses, and lab people.
Most of all, I would like to thank the people that donate to the Rainbow Society. They are the ones that make it possible for me and all the other sick children to have a dream come true!"
Oliver is an 11-year-old sweetheart who suffers from cancer.
Oliver's dream was to visit relatives in Germany. He also had the thrill of his life when he got to just be a kid again in Legoland!
Thanks to everyone who helped make Oliver's dream come true!
Jaden is a sweet six year old little boy who dreamed of meeting his hero Spiderman.
A letter from Jaden's mom:
"In August of '99, Jaden was born with a failing bone marrow.
His chronic low red cells require him to have a blood transfusion
every three weeks, and his chronic low white cells make him more
susceptible to infections and illness. He can't participate
in any contact sports, and the typical running, jumping, and climbing
that little boys love to do has to be monitored very closely.
Jaden has to be hooked up to an IV pump every night for 10 hours.
The IV is connected by placing a needle in
his thigh or stomach
and without this nightly medication, Jaden risks heart failure
or liver failure.
In January of 2004, we met with Grace Thomson of The Rainbow
Society. She guessed that Jaden's favourite superhero was
Spiderman as his shirt, socks, and shoes were all covered with
his hero. In fact, everything Jaden did revolved around Spiderman.
He would even swing down the aisles of the grocery store. So it
didn't come as a surprise to us that Jaden's dream
was to meet his hero, Spiderman.
Jaden's dream came true when we went to Florida in February
2004. I can't fully describe the feelings that engulfed
us as we all experienced Jaden's dream together. We felt
like it was heaven on earth. Jaden's dream trip included
Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Sea World, Universal Studios, and
Islands of Adventure. No matter where our day took us, Jaden was
treated like a superhero. He was greeted by every character with
big hugs and enthusiasm – Jaden felt very special. And the
best part of Jaden's dream hadn't even happened yet.
When Jaden saw Spiderman, he was starstruck – I don't
think he knew quite what to do. When I put my hand on Jaden's
chest to lead him to Spiderman, I felt his heart beating so fast!
Spiderman knelt down, opened his arms and said " Hi Jaden.
I've been waiting to meet you. You are a very brave boy
for having all those needles and I am very proud of you. You will
also be a superhero one day, and for being so brave, I have a
special treat for you." Spiderman then gave Jaden an autographed
hat and one of his toys and bent down to give Jaden a BIG HUG.
Jaden was speechless! He literally did not say a word. He gave
Spiderman a big hug, and then we took some pictures.
This was such a wonderful experience for Jaden, and I think it
was very important for him to hear that Spiderman thinks he's
brave. As for the hat, Jaden won't wear it. He says he's
too scared he'll lose it so it's safe at home, sitting
on a shelf to be admired.
It wasn't until we reached home that I realized what I
really needed to do was HUG somebody responsible
for making Jaden's dream come true and for allowing our
family to share in it. I need to personally thank everyone who
makes The Rainbow Society what it is. I need to let everyone know
what this trip has meant to our family. We have made wonderful
memories, and shared special moments that we will hold dear to
our hearts forever."
Justine has Downs Syndrome and an acute form of cancer. She is 9-years-old. Justine told us she had a wonderful time hugging everyone she met
on her dream trip to Disney World.
Here is an excerpt from a speech given by Justine's mother:
"As a parent, all I ever asked was for my children
to be healthy.
When Justine was diagnosed with leukemia, shock was followed by
a flood of questions: Is she going to die? Will she need chemotherapy?
She is the most loving child,
why is this happening to her?
What
have I donewrong? Is this my fault?
And for my other children who were waiting at home, worried about
their little sister, I knew what I had to tell them, but I had
no idea how.
But Justine never complains, even when she gets sick from treatment.
She actually thanks the
oncologist for administering the spinal
taps and spinal chemotherapy injections. She's amazing.
And when The Rainbow Society was able to send Justine and our
family to Disney World, well it has changed our lives. It has
given us a sense of hope and the strength to see Justine through
the many more treatments she will receive.
I cannot thank The Rainbow Society enough for this gift."
Sarah
In
Loving Memory
1991-2003
The Rainbow Society dedicated our 2004 Diamonds & Ice Annual
Auction to one of our wish children who had recently passed away.
Sarah, who was a rare and natural beauty, was diagnosed with a
tumour
in the brain stem when she was just
11 years old. For the
next year, she struggled through numerous surgeries, intense chemotherapy,
and other
painful treatments. Then, sadly, just one
day shy of her
12th birthday, Sarah and her family learned that ultimately, her
tumour was inoperable.
Sarah's special dream was to swim with the dolphins at Discovery
Cove in Disney World, and The Rainbow Society was thrilled to make
Sarah's dream come true in just three short days. Her smile
was more dazzling than any diamond, and the sparkle in her eyes
was enough to melt our hearts forever.
Sarah, like the diamond in the sky that she now represents, was
a rare jewel.
Josh
This little cutie with Mickey Mouse is only 4 years old and he
is suffering from cancer. When Josh found out that he was able to
make a wish through The Rainbow Society, he knew, without a doubt,
that he wanted to meet his favourite Disney Characters.
Here is a letter the family wrote to The Rainbow Society after
they got back from Josh's dream trip:
"There are no words to describe how thankful we are to
The Rainbow Society for making our son's wish dream come true. It
was definitely a trip of a life time. The staff and volunteers of
Give Kids The World are definitely very special and amazing people.
The resort was just beautiful and there was so much to do and see.
Josh's favourite was riding the carousal every morning before breakfast.
We will all remember this trip for a life time. Thank you!"
Stephanie
15- year-old Stephanie did not let her chronic kidney failure stop
her from dreaming about the magic of Disney World.
Her once-in-a-lifetime dream came true in 2003 through The Rainbow
Society. Stephanie had so much fun going on all the rides and meeting
her favourite childhood Disney Characters.
As you can see, there was no stopping Stephanie when it came to
strapping herself into the most exciting and thrilling rides!!!
Abigail
Sweet 3-year-old Abigail has experienced many painful treatments
in her short life, due to cancer.
When the Manitoba Department of Family Services and Housing heard
about Abigail's wish to visit Disney World, they wanted to
help make Abigail's special dream become a reality.
Abigail's once-in-a lifetime dream came true in 2004,
because of these compassionate and wonderful people at The Manitoba
Department of Family Services and Housing. They raised over $6,500
for Abigail's wish through the Manitoba ALL Charities Campaign.
It is so important for a young child, like Abigail, to have something
positive to focus on during such a difficult time. And she definitely
had fun on her journey at the magical World of Disney!
Robyn
The little sweetheart sitting in the middle of all her cousins
is Robyn. She is only three years old and is suffering from Cancer.
Robyn was so excited when she found out that her dream of visiting
her cousins in Germany was about to come true.
Here is a note that Robyn wrote (with the help of her mom) to The
Rainbow Society regarding her trip:
"Thank-you for my wish to Germany because I really wanted
to see my cousins. I went on a train to the zoo with my cousins.
I saw long necks on the giraffe. I saw a hippopotamus splash my
brother, Andrew. I went to the North Sea and I saw the water waves
crashing down. I walked on the beach with my cousin, Rebekeh. I
went to Holland and I had my birthday there. Amy and Rebekeh (my
cousins) gave me a doll. It was a great trip because
I had a really
fun time in Germany. Thank you!"
|