Dream Stories

T.J.

Family is important to T.J., which reflected in his special dream to fly his grandparents from the Philippines to Winnipeg for a visit. Happily, arrangements were made to have T.J.'s paternal grandmother come for a six-month visit in which time T.J. and his entire family were able to spend some quality time with her, getting to show her some of the sites of the city, learning to cook authentic Filipino food and introducing grandma to snow and a Winnipeg winter.

We are very heartbroken to hear that T.J. passed away in August. He was a very special person who will always have a special place in our hearts.

Hayden

Hayden couldn't believe that his dream was
going to become a reality and couldn't wait to
go on his dream trip to Disney World with his family.

Hayden's dream had to wait almose a year, having to go through treatments for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but it was worth the wait and
Hayden had the time of his life.

Shanelle

In Loving Memory
2005-2010

A sweet but shy little girl, Shanelle had the ability to brighten any room she was in and it always seemed a little bit sunnier at the Rainbow Office whenever she came by for a visit.

Shanelle's dream came true last December when she and her family went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disney World. She had such a wonderful time and she got to meet her favourite hero, Dora the Explorer, along with all of the absolutely amazing characters from Disney World.

It was delightful to see the change in her when she came for a visit after her special trip. The once very shy little girl turned into a very outgoing little girl who wanted to tell you everything about her trip, show you all her pictures and with a true light in her eyes, happily explain all of her experiences.

Sadly Shanelle lost her battle with cancer in May, but she will never be forgotten and her light will never fade.

Meagan and her family just came back from a wonderful Dream Trip to Disney World this November. The family was absolutely amazed at the care and attention they were given, enriching their experience and especially Meagan’s experience, making it a trip of a lifetime.

One of Meagan’s absolute favourite moments was riding on the Spiderman 3D ride at Universal Studios. She was given VIP treatment by the wonderful employees at Universal Studios and without even waiting in line she went on her favourite ride three times, but what overshadowed even the Spiderman 3D ride was Meagan meeting her favourite purple personality, Barney who took Meagan on the ride of her life on the Merry Go Round at Give Kids the World.

Meagan’s trip was made possible by Cruz in Downtown, the organizers of this event, John and Bev Dyck, had the opportunity to meet Meagan and her family, fresh from their trip. Thanks to these wonderful Dream Makers, Meagan was able to experience her once-in-a-lifetime dream come true, a dream that will provide her and her family with memories that will last a lifetime.

Eric has gone through so much in his young life, livingwith severe Hemophilia. There was no doubt when we met with Eric that his once-in-a-lifetime dream was to visit the Indianapolis Zoo.  Eric and his family had such a wonderful time in August when his dream became a reality; he was able to enjoy so many new experiences including a behind the scenes tour where he got the opportunity to pet a four-day-old giraffe feed the sharks and swim with the dolphins. It truly was a very special trip for a very special boy.

A Special thanks to the Indianapolis Zoo for all their assistance in making Eric’s dream trip a truly unforgettable experiences, full of memories that will last a life-time.  Also a big thank you goes out to Cruz In Downtown who sponsored Eric’s dream, allowing him to believe in the magic of a dream come true.

Ty Takes the Checkered Flag with Lightning McQueen

From the moment 3-year-old Ty walked into the Rainbow Society office we knew just what his dream might be. From his Cars T-shirt and sneakers we knew this high spirited and lively little boy had his sights set on meeting his hero Lighting McQueen from the Pixar film Cars. At such a young age Ty himself is a hero in his own right. He is very bravely battling a brain tumor that takes away his natural sparkle and zest for life. But just like his hero the courageousness Ty he has shown throughout his illness he is an inspiration. So when he got the chance to take the fast track of fun and meet Lightning McQueen in Disney World we knew that a lasting memory was being created for this very special little boy and his family. It’s a trip Ty will hold in his heart forever. KaChow!

Freddie

Since the age of five, Freddie has suffered from Chronic Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a blood disorder that doesn't allow his body to clot properly. In most cases this disorder goes away, but unfortunately for Freddie, he falls within the 10% of children that have the chronic version of the disease and the 1-2% that does not respond to treatment.

Freddie's dream was to go to Jedi Training Camp in Florida. Freddie's mother, Chrysta, sent The Rainbow Society a letter describing their experience:

Dearest friends of The Rainbow Society,

We have just returned from the most memorable and magical trip! Our family has been stuck in what has seemed like a very dark tunnel on a wild roller coaster ride for the last 3 years, in which time Freddie has missed out on the type of play and activity that most of us take for granted like tobogganing, recess on the play structure or organized sports.He has sat through long treatments, many pokes and prodding, all with finesse and grace. And although he has never complained and just accepted what he has been dealt, you could see the sadness in his eyes. Freddie's little brother Jack has also had a difficult time with it all. All of the bleeds and late night trips to the hospital have really affected his spirit.

From the moment we stepped into the airport, to the moment we arrived back home we were treated so well! Freddie was an honorary flight attendant; the boys both received their 'wings' and got to sit in the cockpit of the plane!

Give Kids the World Village was magic, pure magic! Watching Freddie get called up for Jedi Training with his little brother Jack and witnessing his face as his dream was coming true; nothing on this earth could beat that! This entire week was so amazing; there are no words to describe the feeling in my heart to watch our sons' faces light up with joy and wonder, to watch them be carefree!

I have said before that there are angels here on earth and we have many in our lives! Thank you so much for being angels for Freddie and for our family, and thank you for giving our family the "boost" to keep riding this roller coaster that we're on!

The Wood Family

Layton and his family enjoyed the
trip of a lifetime in beautiful Hawaii. They visited both Waikiki and the Big Island, with one of the major highlights being a helicopter tour over the volcanoes. It was definitely an experience that Layton will never forget, which was expressed in the Thank You Letter sent by Layton's family:

Thank you Rainbow Society!

We had the most amazing and memorable time in Hawaii! The Scenery, especially the ocean and volcanoes were spectacular to see… how beautiful and powerful nature is! The highlights of Layton’s trip would definitely include the helicopter tour over the volcanoes, waterfalls and ocean; as well as snorkeling on the Big Island.

We were so grateful and blessed as a family to have had this opportunity to take this once-in-a-lifetime vacation. Thank you for granting Layton’s wish and for all your hard work involved in realizing his dream!

With sincere thanks,

The Dyck Family