Dream Kid Zayla is super funny! Her mom says “Zayla’s the boss”.

She’s full of energy, very independent, determined, and feisty. She loves to dance and do crafts - but one of her favourite hobbies is annoying her brother.

Zayla's Story

But Zayla has gone through some challenging times for a 5-year-old kid. Zayla’s family found out by fluke that she has ganglioneuroblastoma. After Zayla accidentally swallowed a cat toy, scans told doctors that she had cancer.

She’s been through a 10-hour surgery, MIBG scans, CT scans, ultrasounds, blood transfusions, and a bone marrow transplant. Zayla’s doctors say she is a puzzle case - she has new growths on her liver and she’s having kidney issues - the doctors are deciding on the next course of action for Zayla’s medical journey. When Zayla’s mom told her she’d have to have more surgery, Zayla swore she didn’t swallow another cat toy.

But none of these challenges stop Zayla from being her personable, adorable self. She loves to meet new people and has made plenty of friends at events through The Dream Factory. She loves coming to art workshops and doing crafts. Seeing people and getting away from the stress of her medical journey makes her days brighter, even if it’s just for an hour.

Zayla's Dream

Zayla’s dream to meet superheroes at Disney World came true! She told her mom that she was most excited to see The Hulk because he’s the only guy in the world stronger than her dad. Zayla loves animals, so visiting Animal Kingdom to see lions was a must! She’s also excited to meet Tinkerbell and Ariel, see Cinderella’s castle, and go swimming.

"The trip was amazing! This was our first trip we've gone on as a whole family. It was so nice for everyone to have a break from their busy schedule and spent quality time together. We did so much in just one week!" - Zayla's mom

Zayla told us she wanted to bring home a dolphin - while that's not exactly what happened, she did get to see a whole bunch of dolphins! She also went on any rides she was tall enough for and met her heroes, Spiderman and The Hulk!