Disney dreams come true in Cork for seriously ill children 

Disney dreams came true in Cork over the weekend for 35 children from across Ireland living with life-threatening or critical illnesses, thanks to a collaboration with Make A Wish Ireland.

The fun got under way on Friday night at the Radisson Blu Hotel where the children and their families were treated to a colourful Disney-themed evening of fun, with each child receiving personalised messages and a goodie bag on arrival.

On Saturday morning, the group headed off to Cobh, where they were welcomed onto the Disney Dream ship by a host of well-known and beloved faces including Mickey Mouse and Cinderella, along with newer favourites such as Moana and Elsa.

A number of surprises awaited them across the day including meet-and-greet photo opportunities with beloved characters and themed events, bringing the magical worlds and beloved stories of Disney to life before their eyes.

To cap off a great day, there was also a musical send-off for the huge crowd that lined the vantage points in Cobh as the ship departed, featuring a number of well-known Disney classic songs.

Susan O’Dwyer, chief executive officer of Make A Wish Ireland, told The Echo that each child had “the most amazing experience”.

“We granted 35 wishes in Cobh at the weekend on the Disney Dream ship. 

“We had been talking to the families in the lead-up to this and the excitement was absolutely unreal.”

Ms O’Dwyer said it was wonderful to be able to grant a Disney Dream ship wish for the children and their families: “It enabled them to experience real happy memories, hope and joy, during a time where they are going through a particular trauma due to the illness.

“From our point of view, working in Make A Wish isn’t really your job; it is a vocation. 

“It is a question of seeing a child light up or hear a comment from a parent just to say how much that wish meant to them, all you can do is smile,” she said.

“In my 20 years experience in Make A Wish in Ireland, I’ve spoken to quite a number of families and parents, who have all expressed the same emotion. 

“When they go on a wish with Make A Wish, they can forget about the hospital, the treatments, and the injections.

“They can be a normal family, just laughing and having fun.”