When you wish upon a star...

Its official!

  The Make-A-Wish "wizard" is granting Cami's wish to go to Disney World!  I get so emotional thinking about all that this amazing organization has done for our family.  First they made Cami's wish to be in a parade come true and as if that wasn't enough, they are sending us to Disney World!  

Cami has been through so much physical pain and we have witnessed the Doctors up at Primary's doing amazing things to her little body to heal it, they put her cancer in remission!  With Make-A-Wish it is a different kind of healing, but one that is just as important to our family.  To us, they are emotional healers.  Cami has been through a lot of trauma for someone so young, but Make-A-Wish has given her some amazing experiences to off-set those traumas.  Thanks to Make-A-Wish, Cami will be able to look back on her cancer journey with some really special memories.  I cannot say enough about this organization.  Cami says they are magic.  I think she is right!

Cami's wish granters threw her a big party to give her the big news.  Nothing Make-A-Wish does is small.
They sprinkle everything with pixie dust and make it absolutely magical.  

Cami got to invite anyone she wanted to her party.  The kids dressed up like knights and princesses.

Our friends and family got to come experience the Make-A-Wish building with us.  They took us on a tour and Cami unlocked the special wishing tower to show everyone.

After being told she was going to Disney World, her wish granters told her they had one more surprise for her.  They made her close her eyes...

When they opened the door, Cinderella and Belle were there to surprise her!

They had a tea party (which was another one of Cami's wishes)

As the night came to an end, Cami was given her star.  Each Make-A-Wish child is given a glass star that they raise up to the Make-A-Wish ceiling, where it stays forever.

Here is Cami writing her name on her star...

 They have a little ceremony to raise it up.
It was such a sweet moment and I was fighting back tears watching Cami's star go up.

It is really beautiful to look up and see all those stars.  All those wishes come true.  

All those little deserving hearts that were filled with joy.

Cami had so many friends and family come out to support her.  Each one of these people have helped us get through some really hard times.  I am grateful that they got to see Cami in a night filled with smiles and happiness.  Thanks to everyone who took the time to show your support to Cami and our family.  We love you all!

 

A HUGE thanks to Cami's AMAZING wish granters.
  They made this process so magical for her.  They truly went above and beyond to make her feel special.

We love you Sarah and Joey!!

 As everyone was leaving the party, Cami went right back to the tea party with Cinderella and Belle.  These two darling girls sat with her for an extra hour and gave her the tea party of her dreams.  She was so giddy on the way home, she couldn't stop giggling.

I dont know who is more excited for our trip, me or Cami.  Don't get me wrong, Cami is PLENTY excited, but the trip we are about to go on is one you cant buy or duplicate.  Like I said, when Make-A-Wish grants a wish it is like a real life fairy tale.  They are sending us to a resort called Give Kids The World, which is a 70-acre resort that is dedicated to kids with life threatening illnesses and it is their goal to show those kids the best time of their life.  They have rides, horses, ice cream parlors, all-inclusive restaurants and a free arcade.  The Disney characters and princesses come visit the property and play with the kids.  They have an amazing pool,  parties, and even Christmas each and EVERY week!  Disney also treats wish kids like gold.  Cami will get a special button to wear in the parks showing that she is "special".  She wont have to wait in any lines, and she will get special privileges all around.  Because Cami gets exhausted so easily, this will make her trip even better!  Cami doesn't even know what's about to hit her and I cant wait to watch my sweet girl experience the week of a lifetime!
She sure as heck deserves it!

Here is a little news video clip on the AMAZING resort we will be staying at...

6 months.

Six months ago we were told that Cami had leukemia.  To say we were devastated doesn't even begin to describe the pain, anger, terror, and despair we felt.  Today, 6 months later, the initial shock has worn off and Cami's treatments have become part of our daily routine.  We have learned to swallow those scary thoughts, we have put our angry feelings to rest and we have found so much joy and happiness through this experience.  We have been shown the love of our Heavenly Father through the service of others.  We have made life long friends who are fighting similar battles.  We have watched miracles happen right before our eyes.  We have learned how precious life is and how important it is to enjoy every second.   

One week prior to diagnosis...                                                               

and gorgeous as ever now...

This is a video of Cami taken 5 days before her diagnosis.  Pat took the kids to play in a water fountain, but she was so tired that she wasn't able to get up to play.  

It makes me sad to watch, knowing what her poor body was really going through.

Here is a little of what our courageous, strong and resilient Cami has gone through.

In the hospital after being diagnosed.

Here is the first month, when steroids had to be pumped into her body.  

As you can see they took over...

She was grumpy all the time.

She came close to doubling her body weight in this phase...

Here she is with her cute, new haircut.

Then she got a buzz cut.

She's had some really hard times...

She knows all the medical terms and uses words that 5 year olds shouldn't even think about.  Just last week she instructed her nurse how she likes to be de-accessed.  

One of the biggest lessons Cami has taught me is how to move on after things get hard.  Was she upset when, 6 months ago, she found out that she was "very sick" and would lose her hair? -YES. Does she like the fact that she has to be poked, prodded and constantly have her temperature checked by her worry-wort mother?  -NO!  But, she has gone on with a smile.  She plays, she laughs she whines and sits in time out when she's naughty just like any other 5 year old.  She doesn't dwell, she lives in the moment, she enjoys it and then moves forward.   

Not too long ago Cami received a package in the mail.  It was a CD titled "Cami".  I had forgotten that I filled out a brochure while we were in the hospital that first week and our social worker submitted it for us.  A foundation called "Songs of Love" puts together personalized songs for sick kids who need something to calm and cheer them up.  Cami's is so PERFECT for her and it is something we will cherish forever.  Cami plays it often and it immediately puts a huge smile on her face.

Pat put the song to a few pictures...

We cannot thank this amazing foundation enough!

***If you are interested in downloading Cami's song go to https://www.songsoflove.org/store/child/ put in "Carver" under childs last name 

and her record number is 22383

Thank you to all of you who have kept up with us on this journey.  This blog has been so therapeutic for me and your comments of love and encouragement have carried me though many days.  I love you all dearly.  
Here's to the next six months of kicking cancer's butt!