Last week, we told you about 4 year old cancer survivor McKenna May, who was denied a Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World because her father wouldn’t authorize the trip, sources said. The Make-A-Wish Foundation requires both parents to sign off on a sponsored trip, but May’s father believed that she shouldn’t benefit from the foundation’s support because she was cured.
However, May’s mother and grandmother were collecting donations from local businesses in order to fund the trip themselves, and the outpouring of help was more than they expected. On Friday, online donations topped at $12,000, with even more money being collected at various banks in northwest Ohio. May’s grandmother said the family was even offered vacation houses and cars.
Now, the family will be able to pay for the trip in August, and will donate the rest of the money to Jamie’s Dream Team, a non-profit organization that helps those who are terminally ill, disabled or suffering from other serious medical conditions.
“We didn’t do this to get rich,” says Lori Helppie, the girl’s grandmother. “We did it to fulfill [McKenna’s] dream, and people’s hearts just opened up.”
