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Hyde Park Christmas tree lighting in Tampa
Evyn Moon reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Hyde Park Village got into the holiday spirit Thursday night with their annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. But bringing even more joy than the twinkling lights, was a well-deserved smile from Vanessa, a 4-year-old girl fighting neuroblastoma, a kind of cancer.
Now, her biggest wish has come true, as the Make-A-Wish Foundation gifted a family trip to Disney for the holiday season.
"It’s a blessing for our family to have a little bit of normalcy around the holidays, to take a break from being in the hospital and having treatments to actually do something every kid would want to do and that’s go to Disney World," Courtney Carlson, Vanessa’s mom said.
Vanessa is a 4-year-old battling cancer.
The Make-A-Wish organization helps make dreams come true for little kids across the U.S. fighting critical illnesses. At the Hyde Park Christmas festival, the organization had the pop-up vendors donate, and all the drinks proceeds went to their cause.
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"Really and truly, I believe we are saving lives. If you speak to ‘wish families’, it gives them a chance to escape and feel normal like every other family and child not battling a critical issue and it gives them hope," Lisa Andrews, of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, stated.
Hyde Park Christmas tree
Carlson says the timing was perfect.
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"Prior to her being diagnosed over a year ago, that’s when we were going to save up for vacations, but she got diagnosed and all our money went to her health. So, what a blessing it is for our family that Make-A-Wish is sending us on our first family vacation, and it’s her dream to go to Disney," Carlson said.
Santa and Vanessa lit up the Hyde Park Christmas tree.
In the hardest time of their lives, Vanessa was all smiles, helping Santa light the 30-foot Christmas tree, getting goodies, and planning her vacation to her favorite Disney theme parks.
When FOX 13 asked Vanessa what she was most excited for, she said, "I want to play some games, that sounds fun."