Lynn Woolley and her daughter Sabrina Woolley can hardly contain their excitement for their upcoming trip to Disneyland, courtesy of the Sunshine Foundation of Canada.
Lyonel Doherty photo
Going to Disneyland and seeing Tinkerbell is the ultimate wish of an Oliver girl who is going blind.
“I want to see the look on her face,” said mother Lynn Woolley, who shares her daughter Sabrina’s excitement about the trip on September 28.
The 12-year-old has been granted the wish by the Sunshine Foundation of Canada, the only national charity to provide individual dreams to children with severe physical disabilities as well as life-threatening illnesses.
Sabrina suffers retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disease that causes severe vision impairment and blindness. The primary symptom is “tunnel vision,” where the person can only see what is straight ahead.
In Sabrina’s case, this tunnel will continue to close to the point where she will experience vision loss.
Lynn said her daughter has had many medical challenges since birth, and she still suffers from severe global developmental delay.
Sabrina needed glasses at the age of two and a half. During the last couple of years her vision has declined significantly, her mother noted.
Knowing that your child is going blind and will no longer see the beauty of this world is extremely difficult to cope with.
So Lynn has been planning (and saving) for a trip to Disneyland – she is determined to give Sabrina the chance to see all of the wonderful sights before it’s too late.
“She loves Tinkerbell . . . to have Sabrina see her is very important for the visual memories.”
Sabrina’s eye doctor in Vancouver told Lynn about the Sunshine Foundation of Canada, and one thing led to another. Their application was approved, and now five family members are off to Disneyland on September 28.
“I cried when they told me she was going,” Lynn said, noting they may not have been able to afford it otherwise.
She pointed out that Sabrina is going to appreciate this trip so much.
“She dreamed that she saw Tinkerbell and that she touched her wings. She said, ‘Mom, they are so sparkly,’”
Again, Lynn can’t wait to see the look on Sabrina’s face when she lays eyes on her favourite Disney character.
“I’m very excited . . . I want to touch her wings because I want to see if they glow,” Sabrina told the Chronicle at a community gathering last Sunday.
Besides collecting Tinkerbell memorabilia, Sabrina loves playing with Littlest Pet Shop toys. She also loves swimming and camping.
But one thing Lynn has noticed about her daughter is her caring, thoughtful attitude towards others. Perhaps that will be her calling in life.
“She doesn’t have to be perfect to have a big heart.”
Lynn said it is phenomenal what the Sunshine Foundation is doing for her family.
Foundation spokesperson Cathy Sarino said Sabrina’s dream to see Tinkerbell will no doubt result in smiles all around.
She pointed out that Sunday’s gathering in Oliver was one of the most supportive, community-minded events that Sunshine has ever attended. Friends and family dropped by to share the excitement and taste some of Sabrina’s Tinkerbell cake.
Lynn recognized Tim Hortons and Buy-Low Foods manager Derek Morgan for donating the snacks. She also gave heartfelt thanks to esthetician Sarah Woodfall from Beyond Bliss for coming in on her day off to do Sabrina’s nails. She actually drew a tiny portrait of Tinkerbell on her fingernails.
Sarino noted the Sunshine Foundation is the legacy of a father’s love for his son. After losing his teenage son to muscular dystrophy, a London, Ontario police officer created the national charitable organization (in1987) to brighten the lives of other children and families.
This is done by fulfilling their most cherished dreams – from meeting sports heroes to seeing foreign countries, or having a special gift like an adaptive bicycle.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
