Eva's Wish and a Bike

After a long Cleveland winter, good news started coming in for Eva.  First, she now has a bike made for her needs!  Brendan's mom, Cheryl spoke with the Shriners (Brendan's great-uncle, Uncle Roger is a Shriner), and applied for Eva to be gifted a pink bike.  It has three wheels, and she can steer it, and so can we.  There is a pole that is connected to the steering wheel.  When standing behind the bike, someone can walk behind her and use the pole to guide the steering wheel.  She loves her bike, and is excited to feel the wind in her hair.

The same week the bike was delivered, we also found out we are officially going to Disney for Eva's Make a Wish.  We are going from May 20-25, and are staying at the Give Kids the World Resort, which is a resort for children with critical illnesses.  We. are. so. excited.  We have been waiting for a year and a half for this wish.  Most of the wait, Make a Wish had a ban on travel wishes.  In addition to that, Eva's doctor also did not want her traveling.  Eva does not know when we are going.  Every now and then she will ask about her Make a Wish, and we tell her we don't know what is going on or when it is happening.  I have looked up a little about the Give Kids the World Resort, and it already seems so magical.  All of our travel expenses- flights, food, park hopper passes etc. are covered.  We will be staying in a suite with a kitchenette and a washer and dryer.  They have thought of everything for families with children with special needs to have a home away from home.  In addition to the Disney park hopper passes, they are also giving us park hopper tickets for Universal Studios...home of Harry Potter World.  Brendan and I went in 2019 without the kids, but now they are all Harry Potter fans, and I am so excited for them to enter Harry Potter World.  Everett is really into Harry Potter, Vivian likes it I think just because Brendan and I do, and Eva just likes to talk about Dobby and the snake in the walls.  I was not expecting the Universal tickets at all, and I think the kids are going to freak out.  I am going to enjoy spending the next few weeks figuring out what to pack, and looking forward to our trip :)

Eva has been very busy the last few months.  She really wanted to take art lessons, so we have two Strongsville High School art students coming to the house to give her art lessons.  The girls that come over are so thoughtful in the projects that they choose, and Eva is loving it.  Some of the projects she has made so far include a self-portrait, a mug, and painted beads for a necklace.  She has also joined Girls Scouts.  I think her favorite thing about Girl Scouts is the sash.  One of her friends from school joined the troop the same time as her, and their friendship really warms my heart.  

A group of my friends has also been signing up to take Eva on playdates during the week, and it has been awesome.  Eva needs a lot of one on one attention, and we are in the process of lining up a home health aide.  We have a meeting on Thursday with someone I hope works out.  There is paperwork we have to do and online training she has to do, so it is a process, but we really need some help.  While Eva has been on her playdates with my friends and their families, she is getting to do things like paint pottery, bake cookies, try new foods, and play with other kids.  This gives Brendan and me a chance to hang out with Vivian and Everett.

Overall, there has been an abundance of blessings sent our way amidst the daily struggles we have, and Eva has.  It takes a village to take care of the five of us, and I am so grateful for all of the positivity sent our way lately.  It makes the load a little easier to bear.  Thank you to everyone who is always thinking of us.