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Mickey Mouse Helps Pennsylvania Parents Tell Foster Kids Adoption News

Courtney and Tom Gilmour became foster parents to Janielle, 12, and Elijah, 10, three years ago

A trip to Disney World is a magical experience for any child. But for a pair of foster children from Pennsylvania, the visit was life changing.

Courtney and Tom Gilmour became foster parents to Janielle, 12, and Elijah, 10, three years ago. The couple planned a trip to Orlando in April with the two kids to attend the Star Wars Convention and visit Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

Just before they left for Florida, the Gilmours learned that they had finally received an exact adoption date for the two foster children, Courtney told NBC.

They decided to surprise the siblings with the great news during their trip to Disney and enlisted the help of Mickey Mouse himself to help with the reveal.

Gilmour said she got in touch with Disney employees through their Twitter account, and a staffer quickly jumped in to help put the plan in motion.

In a video posted on Courtney Gilmour’s Facebook page, the two kids, clad in Mickey T-shirts, walk in for a meet and greet with Mickey Mouse thinking they are only getting autographs.

After taking some pictures, a Disney staffer tells the kids that Mickey has "something really special to share with you guys," before showing them a message board with the words they had so longed for: “Your Adoption Day, May 24th, 2017.”

The two kids burst into tears of joy as Mickey Mouse comforts them. Courtney and Tom join them, video shows, and the four hug as a family.

"I told you it was going to be magical," Courtney Gilmour tells them.

Gilmour, who lives in Portland, Pennsylvania, only recently posted the video online. The video has been viewed more than 1.4 million times.

"I shared the video because I want to continue to draw attention to foster care and adoption," she told NBC. "Being a former foster child myself and now a foster/adopt mother, it's very important we don't forget there's lots of kids who need help.”

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