By Ryan Jordan
Bartow Neighbor Staff Writer
Alyssa Leonard may not have had a whole lot to smile about in
the last
couple of years. But she and her family will have memorable moments
of
fun and laughter to share as they embark on a very special trip.
The 7-year-old Taylorsville girl and her family will leave Thursday
for an all-expense paid trip to Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
through
the generosity of Bert's Big Adventure.
The journey to the Magic Kingdom comes as uplifting news to Alyssa,
who in 2005 was diagnosed with brainstem glioma, a cancerous
tumor
that affects the midbrain.
Alyssa was also diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF) a genetic
disease that can cause numerous soft tumors to develop beneath
the
skin and throughout the nervous system.
"It's an emotional roller coaster," said Angela Leonard, Alyssa's
mother, "You have your ups and your downs."
Mrs. Leonard added that the up-coming trip to DisneyWorld
will bring
much needed relief for the whole family, who including father,
John,
and siblings Kylie, 16, Kazzi 16, Jinnia, 14, and Rachel, 16.
"It will give us time to just take things off our minds,
to just relax
and be family and enjoy each other."
The idea for Bert's Big Adventure, a nonprofit organization
created for Atlanta children with terminal or chronic illnesses,
began
when
Atlanta radio personality Bert Weiss, from the "The Bert Show" on
Q100.5, took a trip to Disney World with 100 children for Kidd's
Kids,
a nonprofit organization from Dallas, Texas.
"Most of these kids had never lived a day in
their life that wasn't a
struggle," Weiss said, "For some of them, telling mom
and dad that
they love them will never happen."
Inspired by his trip, Weiss and his wife, Stacey,
decided to start Bert's Big Adventure, an Atlanta-based nonprofit
that selects 14
Atlanta area children every year to go Disney World. All expenses,
including travel, accommodations and meals are paid during the
weekend
in Orlando.
The organization depends on radio listeners for
both donations and for
selecting children within listening range of the program to go
on the
trip.
According to Weiss, the trip is meant to reinforce
the times that really matter.
"These are the moments that Bert's Big Adventure
wants to provide each
year," Weiss said, "Smiling together when they meet Mickey
for the
first time. Laughing uncontrollably together on the Mad Hatter's
Tea
Cups."
It's these moments that Alyssa Leonard looks forward to.
"
I want to have a tea party with all the characters," she said.
(This article originally appeared in the Bartow
Neighbor on 2/14/2007) |
