Paulding County 3-year-old gets trip to Disney from Make-A-Wish Foundation

HIRAM, Ga. — A 3-year-old battling cancer in Paulding County got to have a special day, and a party, ahead of a special trip, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

At the special going away party for Nathaniel Van Dam, of Hiram, the 3-year-old found out he’s going to get a trip to Disney World, and he gets to bring his twin sister and family, too.

Make-A-Wish Georgia and Good 2 Grow, a Vinings business, threw the Van Dams a party this past Wednesday.

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Nathaniel has been battling cancer for a year.

“Today we got to announce to them that they’ll be leaving on their trip, the kids are so excited,” Lindsi Pearson, Chief Dev. Officer of Make-A-Wish Georgia said.

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Nathaniel and his family arrived at a special party, that’s where he found out they’d all be getting a trip of a lifetime to Disney World.

“Age two is when we found out he had cancer, and went through all the chemo and surgeries, radiation, bone marrow transplants,” the Van Dam parents told Channel 2 Action News.

Now, thanks to Make-A-Wish Georgia and Good 2 Grow, they’ll get to take that special trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth.

“What we believe we are bringing into these people’s lives are moments of joy and hope for better days ahead,” Pearson said.

The family will get to experience some much-needed happier times after Nathaniel’s recent fight with cancer.

“I heard a Wish mom recently say that Make-A-Wish is the only organization that reminds a child that they are more than their illness,” Pearson said. “We are about dreaming for better things to come and thinking about that one wish, what’s that one thing we want to do on the other side of treatment.”

In addition to going to Disney World, this trip will be the first time Nathanial gets to meet his grandparents while making the trip to Florida. Then, he’ll head on over to meet all of his favorite characters at Disney World.

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