Give Kids The World
By Rebecca Conrad

It was Joshua’s ninth birthday and we were expecting a special guest. It would be a surprise for Josh. A few months before, I’d been told of the Make-A-Wish Foundation program and was urged to see if Joshua fit the criteria for a wish. The phone call wasn’t long coming. She asked when would be the best day to visit. “His birthday is next week on the 30th. I think that would be perfect,” I told her.

Josh’s dad, Bobby had to leave for work but my mom came to wait for this surprise to arrive with Josh and me.

The sun shined bright and warm on that beautiful September day. A lady drove into our drive. Josh jumped up, “Is this the surprise?”

“Yes, now go meet her,” I told him.

The Make-A-Wish lady introduced herself as she got out of her car with gifts. “I bet you're Joshua? And I bet it’s your ninth birthday?”

Joshua smiled, eyes wide wondering what this lady carried. “I’m Barbra and came to grant you a wish.”

We all settled in the livingroom and she gave Josh a birthday balloon and car. “Now here’s your special birthday gift,” she said as she held the present towards Joshua.

He quickly unwrapped it and laughed. It was a rock’n roll gorilla dressed for Halloween who sang and played the guitar. Barbra also gave him a snow white bear with the Make-A-Wish tag.

Then the time finally came. “Joshua, you have been given a wish. What will it be? You can visit Disney or go on a shopping spree.”

Joshua thought and said, “A shopping trip!”

“Now Joshua, you know you have just about everything a nine year old could have now. Wouldn’t a trip be better?" His grandma Kay asked.

“Yes, I’d like to go to Disney! Can my mom, dad and grandma go with me?"

“That will be fine.” She patted Josh’s back before she left, “Joshua, you’re going to have the time of your life. Now give me a hug.”

A few months later, we’re packed and loaded into the limo that came to take us to the airport early on January 18, 1999. The snowy weather made Bobby and me nervous about the flight but Josh and mom were super excited to be flying.

In spite of our worries, our flight was smooth. Josh snapped a picture from the airplane window as we were landing. It was just white fluffy clouds but it was Florida!

We were awed with the Orlando Airport’s beauty. Fountains and flowers were everywhere. We spotted a man holding a sign that said “Welcome Joshua Conrad”. He introduced himself as our friend from the Kids Village and led us to the car rental area. We piled into a mini-van and headed out on our adventure.

Our new friend's direction to the Kid’s Village, where we would be staying sounded easy. What a nightmare that turned out to be! We were lost for hours. Finally Mom called the village and they directed us the rest of the way there. By this time we were only a few miles away and starved.

The Kid’s Village is in Kissimmie on a little back road. The only people who are allowed to stay there are Make-A-Wish kids and their families. So you have to go through a gate for clearance. We went straight to the Gingerbread House where we ate our supper.

We went to a small meeting for the families after we ate. We were given free tickets and passes to different parks and places in Orlando. Josh received his Kid’s Village shirt that he would wear when we went to each place to show he was special and was to be treated like a king. After we left the meeting we went to our villa. It was lovely and cozy. It had two bedrooms, two baths, kitchen and livingroom and a small porch. It was a dream come true.

After breakfast the next morning, Joshua signed his “star”. It was placed on the ceiling of the Castle of Miracles.

We then decided to go to Universal Studios. I do believe this was Josh’s favorite. He knew all the movies and was thrilled with the realty of each. Jaws was especially fun when you're in the boat and Jaws roars out of the water splashing us all. Josh tried every ride and was thrilled at his vacation. We ate at the Hard Rock Café. Again he was the king and was treated like one.

Our second day was spent at Magic Kingdom. The third day we went to Animal Kingdom and Epcot. Joshua’s excitement grew with every place we visited and all the sites we saw.

Each night at the Village, we were invited to evening entertainment at the Castle of Miracles. One night, there were Indian dancers and another night race car drivers. One evening Joshua went fishing and splashed in the pool beside the ice cream stand. The Village was a wonderous place where dreams were fulfilled.

Every day when we came back to the villa to rest after fun days, there were always gifts magically waiting for Joshua. He was overwhelmed with all the attention and great presents.

It was our last day for theme parks. We chose to visit Sea World. Joshua had always liked sharks and was awed by all of the different kinds. He petted a dolphin, threw snacks to a group of penguins. He loved the seal shows and stood in front of the shark and polar bear exhibit, hardly believing his eyes. There was a little sadness at the end of that day. We were going home the next morning and this glorious trip would be a memory.

The trip home was not as smooth. It was storming all up the east coast and at one point our plane quit de-icing and we had to turn back to the airport. We had a several hours delay until catching a flight back to WV.

Make-A-Wish just didn’t stop with the Disney trip. We were invited to ride on a Steamboat in Morgontown. Joshua made friends with another Wish boy. His name was Adam and his family had just gotten back from their Disney adventure. Since Joshua’s middle name was Adam, the father turned Adam’s wheelchair over to Josh. “Here you can do the chauffeuring”

The boys were only a couple years different in ages and became fast friends. Bobby and I hung out with Adam’s parents while the boys explored the boat. This was one of our most precious memories.

Joshua was next invited to a truck show. He rode in a big black wrecker. This was also a trip we’d never forget.

I can’t say thanks enough to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Joshua had a dream come true while he was still so young and healthy enough to enjoy every part of his experiences.