The Disney World dreams of a 4-year-old Ohio girl who’s recovering from leukemia are looking better this week after plans for the Make-A-Wish Foundation to pay for the trip were scrapped.
The girl, McKenna May, completed intensive treatment in June for the cancer she was diagnosed with more than two years ago. It was that treatment that prevented her from going to Disney when the Make-A-Wish trip was first discussed in January 2011, McKenna’s grandmother, Lori Helppie, said Thursday.
But McKenna is now on once-a-month aftercare visits that would allow time for her to make the trip to the Magic Kingdom, her mother, Whitney Hughes, told CNN.
However, McKenna’s father, William May of Toledo, Ohio, who was never married to Hughes, says Make-A-Wish’s money would be better spent on terminally ill children who will never get to experience Disney otherwise since his daughter is free of cancer.
He’s refusing to sign paperwork that would allow the foundation to pay for McKenna’s trip.
“There’s children out there that deserve a trip like this that will never get to experience it,” May, 28, told CNN Thursday. “My daughter can go when she’s older and can remember it. I’ll pay for it.”
Rather than pay upwards of $3,500 for McKenna and her family to go to Florida, May suggested the group just get the girl a $200 swing set for her backyard.
Paul Allvin, vice president for brand advancement with Make-A-Wish Foundation of America in Phoenix, told CNN a child need not be terminally ill to qualify for wish fulfillment. That was the case when the organization started, but the policy changed more than 20 years ago, he said.
These days, all a child needs to qualify is a doctor's verification that the child has or had a condition that would be life-threatening if left untreated, Allvin said. As many as 80% of "Wish Kids" live into adulthood, he said.
"What we would never do is penalize a child for getting better," Allvin said.
Susan McConnell, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish for Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, told the Sentinel-Tribune of Bowling Green, Ohio, that McKenna is certainly entitled to the organization’s help.
Hughes agrees with McConnell, saying her daughter endured a lot during her treatment and deserves the Florida trip.
"She's really excited," Hughes told the Sentinel-Tribune, which first published accounts of McKenna’s story this week. "It's all she's talked about for the last three months."
After May refused to sign off on the trip last month, Hughes withdrew her request with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and tried to raise money privately, putting out collection jars around the area where they live and setting up an online donation site.
Hughes said Thursday it will take $3,500 for her, McKenna, McKenna’s younger sister and her grandmother and grandfather to spend a couple of days at Disney and a couple of days at Daytona Beach “to build sandcastles.”
McKenna’s mother and grandmother have also set up a site to accept donations online, http://www.gofundme.com/Make-McKennas-wish-happe. That site showed a flurry of donations Thursday as McKenna’s story spread across national media and donations passed the $9,700 mark early Thursday evening.
“I will get her there someday, but I’m not sure when I’ll get her there,” Hughes said Thursday morning. With the online response, it appears McKenna’s dream may come true sooner rather than later.
Nevertheless, "We are ready to grant this wish if the parents can work it out," Allvin said.
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Good for the father! This is unnecessary, whether the child is terminal or not – why does a four year old need to go to Disney world? Celebrate the health of your child as a family, and take her to Disney when she's old enough to experience it. I think this is a case of the mother / grandmother wanting a free trip more than anything else.
Why does a four old need to go to Disney? Because she has been through more in her four years of life then you have in your lifetime. It is not about the memories it is about letting a little child experience childhood. Cancer treatments suck and she may not be around "when she is older". She is in remission, not cured, so there is some likely hood it will come back. She has spent months in a hospital, being poked and prodded and who knows what else. And in all honesty why shouldn't the mom want a trip? You ever known anyone that has gone through cancer treatment? You ever stood beside anyone going through treatment? It is horrible and stressful and fearful and I can only imagine how intensified those feelings are when it is your child.
My daughter has a genetic disorder that has caused her to be very ill at times. A friend of mine told me about her grandson going on a trip to Disney World with Make A Wish and that I should apply for my daughter. I'll be very honest, I felt that there were other children and their families that needed that experience more than my daughter and frankly, my friend's grandson as well. His medical condition is not life threatening. I felt that we would be kind of selfish to take another child's spot that may only have a limited time to live. It really is up to the foundation to make the decision but ultimately it is up to the parent to decide if the child will apply. If my child had cancer, I would probably apply and let them go. You don't really know what you would do unless it is up to you. If the dad was just being mean and spiteful that is one thing but if he felt that there were other children that needed to go then that is another.
Has anyone else noticed that pretty much all of the people who agree with the dad are men? Im going to bet they have never taken care of a seriously ill child, especially not one with cancer. I think MAW should revise their rules such that in cases of unmarried parents, only the permission of the custodial parent is needed.
Wow. If the issue was raised some random guy or a board member it would be a reasonable argument, they do have limited funds and it does make sense to draw a line somewhere. But this is your damned kid and you don't pull an inch for her... What a pathetic father.
Nothing is worse than breaking a promise to a child. If he was ill and recovered but made a promised a trip to Disneyland, why not keep the promise?
If she meets the requirements of the Make-a-Wish Foundation, there's no reason (other than spite) for the father to deny his little girl the trip, after everything she's been through. On the other hand, I'm not sure the family should be soliciting funds from the public for five people to take an all-expenses-paid trip. But, people know what they're donating for, and apparently they've given enough for this family to take three vacations, or donate part of the money for other needy kids. Hopefully, they will help others with the extra money.
My family and I are a wish family. When my daughter was 3 she was diagnosed with a Wilm's Tumor. We went to Disney the next year. It was one of the greatest experiences ever and my daughter enjoyed every minute of it! It is about the child and doing something kind for that child after after he/she goes through a traumatic experience that many people will never know or understand.
Cancer free today does not mean Cancer free tomorrow. I know I have been fighting Cancer for 14 years and we live scan to scan. Let the child go end of discussion
Amen!
I agree completely. Let the girl go to Disney World.
To those who disagree, do you want to be the one to tell her she can't go? Can you imagine what this would do to her? Crush her dreams, possibly effect her immune system and cause the cancer to return?
Shame!
You are 100 percent correct. Thank you for that.
This is a case of the father is not wanting the child to enjoy herself with her side of the family & vice versa. This isn't his first mistake and won't be his last mistake in his raising his daughter.
Hey "Biological Dad".... apparently you have issues with this... get over them and let your child enjoy a happy time. Then in the future, put your child first. This is not about your relationship with her mother, it is about a child. It is time you grew up and did something right. Since they published your name and address, I am sure you are hearing from a lot of people. Likely negative.... do what is right... sign the papers and continue to sign the papers putting your daughter first.
This is a 4 year old girl, she's gone though cancer treatments, it's very sad and hard for children to have to go though all this, she deserves to go........she's only 4 good grief, she doesn't understand all this crap!!!!
I just read this story on Yahoo! (I think) yesterday. In THAT story, they cite the grandmother saying that the biological father refused to sign the paperwork because he was still mad about the custody arrangements. They even asked the father, and he said "Ya that ticked me off." I wish I could find the article. Its not about the father taking a stand of principle, he's just being a jerk....
What a worthless father get over yourself she shouldnt even have to see you in my opinion i can see why she (mom) has custody what a jerk!
When my teenager had cancer in 2001, another mother was dealing with a non-custodial father refusing to sign for a Disney trip. It's time for MAW to devise a better way to handle this issue. Having a child with cancer is stressful enough without this added drama. BTW, my 26 year old son is doing great!
Best wishes for your son...I am glad for your family...<3
what a disgusting excuse for a father this man is. how do you tell your recovering child you cannot go to disney because not your not going to die. seems like a power trip to me. honestly when i read the headline i was horrified assuming make a wish foundation was preventing the child but her own father? why? i dont understand he seems to brag how hell take her later but that dosent seem like a fun vacation again power trip comes to mind. this "man" should be ashamed of himself hiding behind " other kids should go first." im glad the foundation is still offering the child the trip but i wish there was a clause to exclude this pathetic "father" from having permission rights. what a pig my heart goes out to the mother and family, if i had the means id pay for them to go to disney and pay for the father to move to iraq.
The father is correct the child is no longer terminal and should be excluded from the make-a-wish program. Everyone on here forgets that the organizations funds are limited. It would be great if the organization could accommodate all cancer victims, but it does not have the means.
The other issue I a problem with is the teaching of honestly to the kid versus submitting to selfishness.
Maybe you've not had to deal with cancer. I've lost three immediate family members to it in a two and half year time span. The stage level of diagnosis factors in how long she has to live. The chances of her making to adulthood is, in fact, very slim.
What do you not understand? The poor child might be cancer free today...but that doesn't mean she will be forever. Most people with cancer have relapses......how would you feel if your child had cancer, you refused to let them go to Disney World, and then 4 or 5 moths later the cancer is back, and it's worse? Your child would have lost the chance of a lifetime.