Wishes fulfilled

It's the happiest place on earth and 13 Permian Basin children are going there thanks to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Five wish kids from Midland, four wish kids from Odessa, one from Big Spring, one from Kermit, one from Monahans and one from Stanton attended a "Destination Disney" party Tuesday and will travel Disney World. Each wish child who was granted a Disney World wish has been diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition.

The "Destination Disney" party was colorful, festive and children were running around everywhere, some with their face painted up like superheroes and other bouncing in the bounce house. The joy of the party was a nice respite for the 13 families whose children face medical issues everyday.

Mikahel "Wiki" DeLeon was just two months old when he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a type of cancer. Wiki and his family had to travel back and fourth from his hometown of Odessa to Lubbock for his treatment. He endured four rounds of chemotherapy before being declared in remission.

The DeLeon's wallet took a beating. So, when the Make-a-Wish Foundation came along it was almost too good to be true.

"It's numbing, really. There are no words to describe how it feels to have Make-a-Wish. This is given to people from the goodness of someone else's heart. It's a blessing," Wiki's mom Patsy DeLeon said.

Both parents, Johnny and Patsy and a 15-year-old sister Desirae and a 9-year-old brother John will go with Wiki to Walt Disney World June 3.

"The Walt Disney World trip is one of our most popular wishes," said Tina Corbett, Director of Development for the West Texas Region of Make-a-Wish. "They don't have to stand in line...and a lot of extra is added to the trip. We just love when families come back because they're blown away. Most families didn't want to leave. Sometimes, the hardest thing for them is coming home."

Make-a-Wish makes all the arrangements for wish fulfillment, from planning the trip to providing the family with spending money. The approximate cost of one wish is $6,000. Total cost for the 13 Disney World wishes is expected to be about $78,000. But to the families, it is priceless.

"We haven't taken one (a vacation) like this," Patsy DeLeon said. "We go to San Antonio or Dallas but nothing this spectacular. It's just not in our budget."

Volunteer Wishgranters visit with each family to determine the best way to grant a child's wish. Corbett says the organization is always looking for more.

"I just enjoy doing something like this. It's something the kids want," Dawn Bearden, a volunteer wishgranter, said.

Wiki, who is now 4 years old, is just excited about getting to go on a fun trip.

"I want to see Mickey. This trip is mine," Wiki laughed.