Nolan suffered an anoxic brain injury at day care when he was 4 months old. We were told we would be lucky if Nolan lived to be 2; he would be in and out of the hospital with many medical complications. Nolan was not able to do anything for himself; he was tube fed, had multiple daily medications, a trach, and multiple surgeries and hospital stays. Nolan made it past his 2nd birthday but was never going to get better.

When Nolan was 8, we were urged to apply for Make-A-Wish after one his friends had received her wish and told us it was the best thing in the world. We always thought since Nolan couldn't request what he wanted for himself that it wasn't fair for us to wish for him.

We were reminded that we have always done what was best for Nolan, that this was no different, and that the wish isn't always just for the child with health complications but for their siblings and family as well.

We wished for Nolan to be a kid at Disney World. We never knew what all went into a wish, and the people at Make-A-Wish Iowa were amazing with the planning. We needed help renting a van since we couldn't fly with Nolan and then needed to make sure they had all the medical equipment that we would need at the Village. Nolan has two younger siblings, Landon and Mabel, that Make-A-Wish treated like they were a king and queen
as well.

We weren't prepared for the most amazing trip of our life with Nolan.

At Give Kids the World, we felt at home, and we will never forget that feeling. During our days at Disney, our family was treated with so much respect and dignity. Everyone made us feel special, especially in all the character experiences. The characters would hold Nolan's hand or kneel next to him in his wheelchair. At Give Kids the World, Nolan was able to do everything our other kids were able to do because everything is accessible. Our family will never forget the trip.

All families that face a medical battle should be able to feel the way we felt watching our kids experience such joy.

Our son Nolan passed away a year after the trip, and we will always hold on to that special trip. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that allowed us to forget about our current struggles and just allowed us to spend time together.

Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Because of supporters like you, Nolan’s wish was made possible. Thank you for delivering JOY to Nolan’s family.