An online campaign to send a terminally ill eight-year-old B.C. boy on a Disney cruise with his family is gaining momentum.
His family has been told it will likely be the last vacation for Caleb McLean of Langley, whose cancer has returned, two years after he was first operated on.
Father Travis McLean said attempts to remove one of two resurgent tumors have only been partially successful, and doctors have told them Caleb only has months to live.
乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 believe them,乌鸦传媒� McLean said, struggling to keep his composure.
乌鸦传媒淚 think my son is a fighter. He乌鸦传媒檚 going to defeat the odds.乌鸦传媒�
When a visitor from Make-A-Wish BC and Yukon, a charity that grants wishes to seriously ill kids, asked Caleb what he would like, he said he wanted to go on the 乌鸦传媒淒isney boat乌鸦传媒� with his mother, father and all five siblings.
That was more than the foundation could cover, and the family was told the trip would only be possible with Caleb, both his parents, and just one of his five siblings.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 unfortunate,乌鸦传媒� Travis said.
乌鸦传媒淚 have nothing against Make-A-Wish. I can kind of see where they乌鸦传媒檙e coming from. You don乌鸦传媒檛 realize how many kids have cancer [and would qualify to have their wish granted by the foundation] until you乌鸦传媒檝e been to an oncology ward.乌鸦传媒�
Caleb乌鸦传媒檚 aunt Danielle Glynn responded by setting up an online gofundme campaign called to raise the estimated $45,000 it would cost to sent Caleb, his parents and all five siblings on his dream vacation.
乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 a big heart in a little body,乌鸦传媒� a tearful Glynn said of her nephew. 乌鸦传媒淗e lights up the room with his smile.乌鸦传媒�
In the first three days, more than 190 people have donated about $23,000 to the campaign and the pace of contributions has picked up as word spreads, Glynn said.
Like her brother, Glynn said she understands the foundation has to stay within a budget, and she has nothing bad to say about it.
But asking a family to choose which of five children will accompany their brother on his last vacation 乌鸦传媒渏ust sucks,乌鸦传媒� Glynn said.
乌鸦传媒淗ow do you pick which sibling?乌鸦传媒�
A spokesperson for Make-A-Wish BC and Yukon, Stuart Chase, said they are discussing an 乌鸦传媒渁lternate乌鸦传媒� arrangement with the family that would be within the foundation乌鸦传媒檚 budget.
乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 the reality we work with every day.乌鸦传媒� said Chase, the marketing and communications director for the charity.
乌鸦传媒淲e are totally donation-based, not government funded.乌鸦传媒�
Chase had nothing but positive things to say about the family GoFundMe initiative for Caleb.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 really awesome that they乌鸦传媒檙e going to bat for him,乌鸦传媒� Chase said.
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