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.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe them,鈥� McLean said, struggling to keep his composure.
鈥淚 think my son is a fighter. He鈥檚 going to defeat the odds.鈥�
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 鈥淒isney boat鈥� 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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate,鈥� Travis said.
鈥淚 have nothing against Make-A-Wish. I can kind of see where they鈥檙e coming from. You don鈥檛 realize how many kids have cancer [and would qualify to have their wish granted by the foundation] until you鈥檝e been to an oncology ward.鈥�
Caleb鈥檚 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.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a big heart in a little body,鈥� a tearful Glynn said of her nephew. 鈥淗e lights up the room with his smile.鈥�
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 鈥渏ust sucks,鈥� Glynn said.
鈥淗ow do you pick which sibling?鈥�
A spokesperson for Make-A-Wish BC and Yukon, Stuart Chase, said they are discussing an 鈥渁lternate鈥� arrangement with the family that would be within the foundation鈥檚 budget.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the reality we work with every day.鈥� said Chase, the marketing and communications director for the charity.
鈥淲e are totally donation-based, not government funded.鈥�
Chase had nothing but positive things to say about the family GoFundMe initiative for Caleb.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really awesome that they鈥檙e going to bat for him,鈥� Chase said.
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