Four-year-old Jack is always on the go. Coming from those who know him best, he is described as active, smart, innovative, and definitely not shy. One would never know that congenital heart disease has left this gregarious young boy with ‘half a heart’. Although only one side of his heart works, that one side does the work for two! It is no wonder that when presented with a chance to have a wish granted, he chose to go to Walt Disney World^® Resort. His wish certainly compliments his personality!

One of Jack’s family’s favorite memories took place at the Give Kids The World Village in Orlando. Here, Jack took part in the ‘Village Idol’ and proceeded to sing a rendition of Bob Marley accapella to strangers. “He loves everyone no matter the age,” commented his mom, Lisa.

The next day it was off to Walt Disney World^® Resort to meet Buzz Lightyear (one of his favorite characters), and explore the rides. In the following days, Jack saw a Cars stunt show, went to the beach, fed dolphins, pet stingrays at Sea World, went on a safari at the Animal Kingdom, visited Disney Hollywood and Universal Studios, and went hang gliding on a Jurassic Park ride. Even with a weeks worth of new experiences and things to try, Jack took it all in stride. Who wouldn’t want to release some energy after a hard year of hospital visits?

When asked what his favorite part was, Jack blurted out, “to shoot the balls”. This particular Toy Story ride involved shooting a gun that had a ball attached to a string, and hitting targets held up by the Toy Story characters. He was no doubt a good shot after going on this ride 7 times in a row.

Today Jack is doing great and remembers with excitement the time of his wish. The wish gave him and his family members wonderful time together and an opportunity to have some fun! “Jack had a lot of firsts” said his parents Josh and Lisa, “[and] it was overwhelming to see the support and amount of volunteers involved to make this wish come true”.

Wish Granters: Leslie Durham, Stu Long, Sarah Nilson
Wish Sponsors: Clayton Middle School and Westland Elementary