June 2022 - Fallon's Dream, Feats of Strength, and another Disney Dream Come True!
June was an exciting month for us at The Dream Factory! We are looking forward to several upcoming community events, and to bringing a very special Dream to life! In June we also got to hear all about Hazel’s Disney Dream Come True. Read on for all the details!
Pictured: Dream Kid Fallon in the hospital being treated for her end-stage kidney disease.
Fallon’s Dream
Dream Kid Fallon has experienced a lot in her young life. After being adopted in Ukraine, Fallon was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure. Each night, Fallon gets 10 hours of dialysis to keep her alive. Even through all she has experienced, Fallon is a vibrant and bubbly kid who loves to read, enjoys sports, and eat mashed potatoes. Fallon also loves to sing!
And Fallon still Dreams BIG! Fallon’s Dream is to meet country music legend, Dolly Parton! One day, when her family was listening to music on YouTube, Fallon began to sing along with a Dolly Parton Song. “My mom said I was like her,” Fallon shared with us. “And I’m kind of like her, except I have dark hair and she is blonde. But my Dream is to sing some songs with her.”
We are so excited to connect Dolly with Fallon! Even through all the challenges she faces, with her kidney disease and two of her younger brothers still living in Ukraine as the war rages on, Fallon stays strong and remains that vibrant bubbly kid she’s always been.
Upcoming Events
Super Strength for Super Kids - Ava’s Dream
This exciting fundraising event is a strongman competition based in Brandon, MB to showcase our community’s super strength in an effort to make a Dream Come True for Ava! We are looking forward to this event taking place in September!
Ava is a smart, caring, active, and outdoorsy kid. She’s very outgoing and easy to get along with. She loves sports, and especially loves playing hockey. In 2019, Ava was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia. She required weekly blood transfusions and had to live at the hospital until she received a bone marrow transplant from her dad in January 2020. The transplant was a success, and Ava was discharged from the hospital. A year later in July 2021, Ava came down with a bad case of meningitis and was hospitalized once again. She was getting sinus infections every month and a half. Because of her severe aplastic anemia, her antibody cells weren’t producing enough cells to fight off infections.
But Ava is so strong and has fought through so much. Now she receives a transfusion of antibodies once a month and she can finally attend school and participate in the activities she loves – like Hockey! Super Strength for Super Kids is an opportunity for our community to be as strong (or almost as strong) as Ava!
Deadlifts for Dreams 4 - Dream Gym Challenge
Now in its 4th year, we are confident that this year will be the best Deadlifts for Dreams event yet! Since 2019, Deadlifts for Dreams has raised $75,000 for kids in Manitoba battling life threatening illnesses. This year, we hope to celebrate a combined total of $100,000 raised! The event will be held on Saturday, August 27, 2022. We’re planning an accessible outdoor meet at Training Grounds Gym in St. Malo – complete with outdoor activities for kids and families, an on-site barbeque, and of course – our main event: deadlifts and axel lifts!
New to the event this year will be the 2022 Dream Gym Challenge! We’re challenging gyms and training centers from across Manitoba to bring their lifters out and raise funds in support of more Dreams for Manitoba kids. As participants register for the event, they will be asked to enter the gym they typically train at. If there are multiple participants from the same gym, they will be placed on a team and entered in the Dream Gym Challenge!
Whichever gym collectively raises the most before the event will become the 2022 Dream Gym! In addition to the glory and bragging rights, the winning gym will also bring home an incredible prize: a push/drag sled courtesy of our friends at Irwin Fitness!
If you are a gym owner and would like to enter a team of participants in the 2022 Dream Gym Challenge, get in contact with us to learn more and get your lifters registered! Click here for more details on the event!
Meet a Dream Maker - Emergent Biosolutions
Emergent Biosolutions is committed to Giving, Investing, and Volunteering in their Emergent communities, and does so through their eGIVE social responsibility program, which is just one of the ways they bring about change for families and communities. This year, Emergent Biosolutions’ fundraising campaign will support Greysen’s dream come true! Greyson is interested in visiting the UK but he’s also expressed interest in swimming with whale sharks! His parents know it’s a big decision, so they’re letting him take his time to make up his mind. And with the support of Emergent Biosolutions, we’ll be here, ready and to make Greysen’s Dream a reality!
Hazel’s Dream Come True
Dream Kid Hazel had a great time with her sister and parents at Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios for her Dream Come True! Hazel’s mom sent us a journal of all the fun things they did while they were there – and it was almost as much fun to read about it!
Hazel’s favourite part of the trip was SeaWorld. They got a private VIP Tour and saw sea lions, otters, sharks, and orcas. During the Orca Show, Hazel got the splash of a lifetime in the splash zone! One of the most special moments of their trip was when Hazel got to pet the stingrays and realize part of her dream!