Virginia boy shares joy of Disney trip made possible through Make-A-Wish

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Ben Bumgarner's life changed last fall when his wish to go to Disney World was granted.

I met with Ben, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and his family this week to talk about what it felt like to have that wish fulfilled.

"It just felt really good because I got to do a bunch of stuff, like walk right on to the rides and go to Disney," the 13-year-old Chesterfield boy said about his magical vacation last November, thanks to a special benefactor.

"We talked to Ben and told him, 'Disney is going to be able to really roll out the red carpet for us. We can take you to Disney, but we can't get you the experience that Make-A-Wish is going to be able to get you," said his mom, Beth Bumgarner. "So we decided to do Disney that way."

What to expect at Walk-for-Wishes in Richmond

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Virginia makes such trips possible for children with critical illnesses.

"It gets kids to do what they want to do, without really worrying about money or anything," said Ben. "And sometimes it's like they have really, really bad illnesses. Who knows if they're going to be here still a month from now? So it's good just to have that so they get their dreams."

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For mom Beth, Make-A-Wish's gift made the impossible, or at least the extremely difficult, possible, and not just for Ben.

"His siblings take a lot of the brunt sometimes, of his disability," she said. "When we plan family vacations, everything we plan has to be accessible for Ben. So sometimes there's things they want to do that they're not able to do. I think for Ben, it was really cool to be able to give this experience to his siblings, because they have done so much for him over the years."

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As Beth looked through dozens of pictures from their trip, it was clear that creating the joy visible on the faces of Ben, his two older siblings and their parents is what Make-A-Wish does.

That's why a grateful mother urges you to consider supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation: it delivers something every parent wants their child to have.

"I know a lot of families take a really big financial hit in paying for all the things that go along with having an illness," said Beth. "And sometimes they just can't afford to go on vacation. To be able to provide that for families and help out, is just a really great thing."

And somehow Make-A-Wish even makes it look easy.

"When you go on a trip without Make-A-Wish, there might be stuff that's just hard to do," Ben said. "But then Make-A-Wish has access to stuff, just everything that you need."

We hope to see you at Walk-for-Wishes on Saturday, May 18 at 9 a.m. at Richmond's City Stadium. If you would like to make a donation just click here.