WATCH: 7-year-old battling cancer experiences the magic of Disney
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – All this week, Good Morning Richmond is sharing stories of the children having their dreams made into reality thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Today, we meet seven-year-old Grace Black who loves dolls, sewing, her brothers and Disney.
“I liked seeing Rapunzel and Cinderella at Disney World,” said Grace.
The first grader said she “really liked going to all the parks” – a magical experience that provided an escape from the harsh realities of battling cancer.
“Grace was diagnosed when she was four and a half with leukemia,” said Grace’s dad, Matt Black. “You never think you’re going to be a parent of the Make-A-Wish kid.”
Grace has been fighting for two and a half years.
“The first night we were in the hospital she woke up in the middle of the night and said, ‘I want to meet Cinderella and see the castle,’” Matt said.
Grace and her whole family not only met Cinderella but also took a trip to Universal’s Harry Potter World.
“When I was sick, I couldn’t really do anything, but then I could go on our trip and it was really fun,” Grace said. “I got my own wand!”
The trip meant as much to her parents as it did to Grace.
“What it was like to actually have a break, and a break in a way that things were taken care of and made easy for us. From the words cancer on, it’s just… life is difficult in so many ways,” Matt explained. “We really had fun. We really rested. We really played hard.
“All of the details were taken care of, made it possible for us to have a time away that was actually easy. That’s something I can’t even put words to.”
Grace finished her last chemotherapy treatment in July. She’s doing great and still goes for monthly scans.