Disney wish a reality
A Red Oak girl had her wish come true, thanks to efforts from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa teamed up with Make-A-Wish to help grant 15-year-old Renee Decker’s one true wish. Decker, currently a sophomore at Red Oak High School, traveled on a Disney cruise early in July. Decker said the process to have her wish granted started more than a year ago.
“My mom, Cassie, and I put in the applications to talk about getting a wish granted, and my wish was the Disney cruise,” Decker said.
Decker and her parents, Tony and Cassie, and her brother, Phillip, were a part of the trip. Taking the cruise, Decker said, allowed her to live out a lifelong dream.
“I always wanted to swim with dolphins. I got to do that on the cruise. Being with my family made it really important too,” said Decker.
She received word that her wish was being granted by the foundation during a “wish reveal” party on July 5.
“My family met with Make-A Wish representatives and representatives from Davis-Taylor Insurance, Heartland Insurance Services, and United Group Insurance, who supported my wish. We met them for an event at Thunder Bowl in Council Bluffs.”
In addition to swimming with the dolphins, Decker and her family got to take part in numerous other memorable experiences on the cruise.
“We watched a fireworks show off the top deck. There were free ice cream cones all day. That was pretty nice. We also got to snorkel. We also watched a lot of Disney movies on the pool deck,” commented Decker.
Decker was diagnosed with Type-I diabetes and is also undergoing treatment for a Lysosomal storage disease which includes weekly infusions for enzyme replacement. Despite the hurdles, Decker said she’s in good spirits.
I’m feeling pretty great – at least as great as you can be,” said Decker.
Without the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s assistance, Decker said she never would have had the chance to take the cruise. She encourages others in need to apply.
“It was definitely an amazing opportunity. I would definitely recommend it.”
Sponsor
The sponsorship of Decker’s wish is part of a larger commitment, $400,000 in total, from Trusted Choice that will help state associations throughout the country grant more wishes.
“Trusted Choice® is honored to work with Make-A-Wish and our independent insurance agencies across the country to donate half a million dollars to grant wishes nationwide,” says Robert Rusbuldt, Trusted Choice president and Big “I” president & CEO. “Independent agents are there to instill confidence and hope in their clients and customers, and that’s what Make-A-Wish does for so many children. We are proud to help them grant wishes and look forward to helping to enrich these children’s experience with hope, strength and joy.”
“Make-A-Wish Iowa grants a wish about every other day to our kids with life-threatening medical conditions, said Chris Voggesser, president of Make-A-Wish Iowa. “The impact of a wish touches not only the wish child, but their family, the volunteers and the community at large. We are privileged to partner with Trusted Choice to sponsor wishes throughout the state of Iowa.”