Meet Colby
Dear Friend of The Dream Factory,
There has not been a more difficult moment in my life than learning that my wonderful son, Colby, has a life-threatening illness.
Meet Colby
Dolphins, Disney, and a letter from Dad...
When he was only 5-years-old, Colby was diagnosed with brain and spine cancer (medulloblastoma). This news was crushing, and yet I knew that I had to stay strong for my little boy, whose world was about to become so terrifying, filled with endless doctor appointments, hospital visits, countless needle pokes, and grueling treatments.
As a parent, you fight so hard to protect and take away everything that is hurting your child. You would gladly take on anything that is causing them pain, but yet, that is just not possible and the feeling of helplessness and failure to protect set in.
“The Dream Factory provided something that was so important for my son and our family – hope. When Colby learned that he would swim with dolphins, his eyes lit up and a huge smile came upon his face in a way that I hadn’t seen since before he became sick”
As scary as this experience has been for all of us, especially Colby, we did learn about The Dream Factory. To discover that there is an organization out there whose sole mission it is to help kids just like our son Colby was such a beacon of hope during a very dark time. We learned that Colby would experience his special once-in-a-lifetime dream come true of visiting Disney World.
The Dream Factory provided something that was so important for my son and our family – hope. When Colby learned that he would swim with dolphins, his eyes lit up and a huge smile came upon his face in a way that I hadn’t seen since before he became sick and as a parent was so good to see again. Colby was so excited to get better so that he could go on his dream trip. The promise of a dream come true helped Colby get through his treatments so that he would be able to experience his once-in-a-lifetime dream come true.
Even though Colby is still quite sick, he is fighting so very hard each and every day. He inspires me with how he keeps a smile on his face while going through such a hard time. He is so brave and strong and he faces the horrible challenges of his illness so much more bravely than I ever could. Colby is my little superhero and I am so proud to be his dad.
We have made very good friendships with those at The Dream Factory. They keep in touch and continue to check in on Colby and involve him in special events. It is truly touching and heartwarming to know that they are behind us while the battle continues. Without The Dream Factory, we wouldn’t have experienced the magic of Disney World the way that we did, and we are forever grateful for the opportunity to have made so many special memories with our little superhero, Colby.
- Colby’s Dad