Tatum was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma when he was 6-months-old, and has fought through multiple rounds of chemo and 15 surgeries. After his initial diagnosis, he immediately underwent emergency surgery to remove a mass and in recovery, his heart and breathing stopped. This little fighter came through it all and is now four-years-old and declared cancer-free. He still has after-effects from being without oxygen for so long when he was a baby and his dedicated parents now have weekly visits to local hospitals for physical, occupational and speech therapy.
Tatum and his family have been through the ringer and when they came to us with a Disney Trip in mind, we were thrilled to oblige! Mom wrote, “We chose Disney because we knew how much he and his brother would love it! Even though it was for Tatum, his brother has been through all of this as well, on the sidelines cheering him on. We wanted a special trip for both boys to truly enjoy”.
The boys had a blast and one of the most memorable parts was the downpour of rain that came on their last day when they visited Magic Kingdom. The rain may have disappointed others, but those sweet boys were the happiest they had ever been and smiled through it all. Mom recalls, “The rain only made the trip more memorable!” We are so honored to be able to provide amazing experiences for kids like Tatum through our partnership with Give Kids the World. Mom called the village, “ a one-of-a-kind experience”. She said, “they were unbelievably amazing and had so many accommodations for him with his physical needs. He loved the train room, Legos, fun rides, and the pool! He loved dancing at night in the party room! But most of all he just loved being a kid with his brother and not worrying about doctor’s appointments.” It’s stories like Tatum’s that remind us of the importance of letting kids be kids, and doing everything in our power to make it happen!
