A 4-year-old girl from St. Peters is packing her bags for Disney World this month after her preschool classmates helped make her wish come true. Addilynn, who lives with a nervous system disorder and other medical issues, was told that her dream trip would be granted, and she and her family are set to leave on November 17.
The news came from her classmates at The Learning Experience in St. Peters, according to First Alert 4. The preschool helped raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation to support Addilynn and other children facing similar medical challenges, turning a classroom effort into a life-changing surprise for one of their own.
For Addilynn's mother, Becky Shelton, the trip represents something the family could never have managed on their own. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her; we would never be able to do it on our own,” she said, per the same report from First Alert 4.
A Nationwide Push Called Bubbles' Road to Wishes
The fundraising effort tied to Addilynn's wish is part of a larger campaign known as Bubbles' Road to Wishes, described on the Make-A-Wish fundraising page as an initiative where branches of The Learning Experience across the country come together to raise money for the foundation, according to Make-A-Wish's fundraising site. Every dollar raised counts as one mile on that symbolic road, the campaign notes.
The scale of the effort shows up in the numbers posted on the fundraising page, which lists $61,224.68 raised by The Learning Experience's West Region, $49,439.53 by its East Region, and $32,119.02 from its Corporate team. Those totals reflect contributions pooled across the national network rather than any single St. Peters classroom, but they give a sense of just how many preschoolers and families have taken part in campaigns like the one that helped Addilynn.
Another Missouri Child, Another Disney Wish
Addilynn's story follows a similar moment elsewhere in the St. Louis area, where Make-A-Wish recently granted a wish for a 7-year-old named Bree during an event in St. Louis County, as FOX 2 reported. Bree's mother said the girl had recently received a kidney transplant and had spent five of her seven years in and out of the hospital. Bree and her family are also planning a trip to Walt Disney World in the near future, with help from Make-A-Wish and Socium Partners.
Back in St. Peters, Addilynn's departure date is now just days away. Her preschool classmates' fundraising push gave her family a trip they say they could not have afforded on their own, and in a little more than a week, that wish becomes reality.
