A group of 16 South Florida children with terminal illnesses is heading to Disney World for the trip of a lifetime — and it's completely free, thanks to kind local entrepreneurs.
Raul Rodriguez is the man behind this initiative. He’s in charge of National Health Transport in Sweetwater.
Rodriguez tells NBC 6 the idea started after he started helping out at children's rehab centers during the holidays.
“I asked them, what's the one thing these kids would always want?” he said. “And they obviously said, ‘you know, go to Disney World.’ But we all giggled because they said that's impossible.”
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On Friday afternoon, that idea became a reality when a bus, along with ambulances and police cars for safety, left South Florida and headed out for a weekend-long trip to Disney World.
“[We’re] very grateful,” said Cashmere Porter, who is traveling with her daughter Dallas. “And I know all of the other families that are traveling today really agree. I really greatly appreciate moments like this because it doesn't come as often as we would love.”
Dallas can’t speak or walk, but her mother says she’s thrilled to be in the most magical place in the Sunshine State.
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A total of 16 children are traveling, alongside a team of 90 adults to help out. Because of the children's fragile health, the trip must be planned to perfection.
“We have kids in tracheostomy tubes, so you have to plan to take the pump in and the oxygen tanks and the wheelchairs and the suction machines and the medicines,” said Diana Insignares, who’s behind the organization of the trip. “So that's why Raul makes sure that we are well-equipped with paramedics. We have the police department that goes with us to help us.”
It's quite a logistical task, but it’s worth it once they see the kids smiling when they reach their destination.
“It's a little bit emotional,” said Rodriguez. “Because these kids, just the fact that there they are smiling and crying. When we have our own children, they have different reactions because they want to go shopping and stuff like that. it's an eye-opener, right? Just simple happiness.”
