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Ed. Note: The following
story is reprinted with permission from The Daily Record. The
original article can be found at:
The Daily Record April
20, 2005 Seven-year-old Aaron
Rhodes is a curious first-grader at Plain View Elementary School with a
shy smile, who is always on the principal’s list. In his spare time, he
loves playing with his Game Boy and Game Cube, taking care of his 25 fish
and watching television. His favorite show is “The Proud Family,” and he
never gets tired of watching baseball and basketball.
For fine dining, he definitely prefers McDonald’s above any other
restaurant. As far as school goes, he thinks P.E. and recess are the best
subjects of all. Unfortunately, his time at recess is spent differently
than those of his friends.
Aaron was born with a condition known as Arnold Chiari Malformation, which
is caused when the lower parts of the brain protrude down into the spinal
canal and places intense pressure on the spinal cord. Any jolt or stress
to the head and body can cause paralysis, and those suffering from the
disease often experience severe headaches, neck pain, stiffness and
difficulty swallowing. Because of his fragile condition, he must be
extremely careful and cannot engage in play like other kids his age.
Not long ago his mother, Donna Rhodes, learned abut the children’s
wish-granting organization, Kids Wish Network, while exploring the
Internet. After contacting the Florida-based charity and starting the
application process, she was delighted to learn her son was eligible for a
wish come true. When asked for his No. 1 pick, there was no hesitation.
Aaron wanted to go to Disney World in Florida.
Aaron’s Kids Wish Network coordinator Kim Tanveer immediately made the
arrangements for the family adventure. She secured the airline tickets and
theme park passes for his family, booked the hotel accommodations, made
dinner reservations at area restaurants, and arranged for spending money
and more. The young boy was in for a truly exciting adventure.
Aaron and his family — parents Donnie and Donna Rhodes and 3-year-old
sister Sarah — hit just about all the major parks in Orlando, including
Animal Kingdom, Sea World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Disney
MGM and Magic Kingdom. They left March 16 and returned home March 20.
“It was just wonderful,” Mrs. Rhodes said. “Aaron had a great time.”
Later the family had a blast at one of Orlando’s most popular stops, the
Pirates Dinner Adventure Theater, where they enjoyed a live pirate show
and delicious food.
“Aaron is still talking about the pirates,” Mrs. Rhodes said.
The family returned home tired but with lots of pictures and even more
terrific memories.
“It was all so wonderful. We’ve been telling everyone about our trip,”
Mrs. Rhodes said. “Kim was so great with Aaron. She really made him feel
so special. He just had an awesome time.”
Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization
dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories and improving the
quality of life for children. If you know a child between the ages of 3
and 18 in need of wish granting services, contact the organization at
(813) 891-9374 or call toll free at (888) 918-9004. For more information,
visit the Kids Wish Network Web site at
www.kidswishnetwork.org.
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