The gift of time is precious, and families with children facing life-threatening illnesses make the most of their time at Give Kids The World Village.

There are many holiday traditions for families…the tree, the stockings, and “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament, to name a few. Sadly though, many families face the heartbreaking reality that their baby’s first Christmas might also be their last.

What if you could help these families experience Yuletide cheer year-round? Well… Thursdays rock at Give Kids The World Village! Give Kids The World (GKTW) is a Central Florida-based, non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses and brings Christmas joy to families from around the world every Thursday at the Give Kids The World Village. This happy place, founded in 1989, is a 70-acre resort in Orlando, Florida, complete with over 140 villa accommodations, entertainment attractions, whimsical venues and fun, all specifically designed for children with special needs.

Two future Snow Princesses – the Neifert Family

The Neifert family found itself on the holiday wish-list for Give Kids The World twice, when both of their daughters were diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the eye.

Leah and Tony knew that their first-born had a fifty percent chance of inheriting the genetic disease that Tony had survived as a child. Their fears where confirmed when their newborn daughter, Libby, a mere five days old, was diagnosed with tumors in both eyes. She underwent her first surgery five days later, with subsequent surgeries every two weeks for three months, followed by a round of chemotherapy. Baby Libby ultimately lost her right eye following a retinal hemorrhage.

On December 16, 2004, with the holiday season in full swing, the Neiferts received yet more shocking news: Doctors discovered that Libby’s retinoblastoma had spread to her brain and the prognosis was a terrifying 2 percent chance of survival. Their baby’s first Christmas would most likely be her last.  “Miracles happen, especially at Christmas time,” says her devastated Mom. “So we tried to hang on to the happiness of having Libby for Christmas that year and hoped for our miracle.”

With poor outcomes from traditional treatments, the Neiferts sought a different approach, and it worked! Eight rounds of chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant resulted in an unexpected and welcomed remission.

Leah’s next trip to the hospital was to be a bittersweet one with the birth of her second daughter, Ella. There were no unknowns this time. Ultrasound in utero had confirmed that Ella also suffered from the rare cancer. She was delivered at just 32 weeks so that  intervention could halt the cancer growing in her eyes. Like her big sister, she underwent many procedures and eventually lost her left eye.

Both girls were granted their wishes and the Make-A-Wish foundation and Give Kids The World arranged for them to  meet the Princesses of Walt Disney World. Though many little girls long to be princesses, Libby wants to become the Snow Princess, a magical character that helps lead the weekly Christmas parade at GKTW. “She can’t wait to volunteer and make other kids smile during Christmas.”

Though both girls, now 7 and 5 years old, remain at risk for developing secondary cancers, for now they are healthy and happy reminiscing about Christmas Thursdays at the Village.

True Angles of Christmas – The Loewen Family

In the spring of 2009, Christmas came early for the Loewen family at Give Kids The World Village. The festive occasion was the first and only Christmas holiday that 3 year-old Noah would spend outside of the hospital and the last Christmas that the Loewen’s would share as a family of five.

It all began during a routine 20-week ultrasound, when doctors discovered that the baby boy that Brad and Nichole were expecting had a cleft lip and palate and a very rare chromosome condition. They were told that Noah would likely be stillborn. Instead, Noah was born and welcomed by his siblings, Kailyn, now 11, and Joshua, now 9.

Their favorite memory as a family at the Give Kids The World Village included the traditional Christmas activities such as sitting on Santa’s lap, eating snow cones, and singing along to holiday music. “Every experience with Noah was a bonus – a gift,” Brad explains. Noah passed away just a few months after their wish trip. When the actual Christmas Day came that year in 2009, Noah’s stocking hung from the mantle in his memory.

To continue Noah’s legacy, the Loewen’s plan to move 2,000 miles from Canada to Florida for one reason—to be closer to Give Kids The World Village, so that they can volunteer for the organization that provided so much happiness for their family! A certified CPR Instructor, Brad will open a training center, “Thrive Response, Inc.,” named in honor of his son who beat the odds for three years after being termed by doctors as a “failure to thrive” before he was born.

This holiday season, Kailyn is hosting fundraisers at her school to raise money for Give Kids The World to help ensure that guests at the Village always have gifts to open under the Thursday Christmas tree.

Help make wishes come true this season!

• Share the message with your holiday mailing list! Order Christmas or Chanukah greeting cards designed by GKTW children. $14.95 (pack of 15) with 100% of proceeds benefitting the mission.

• For just $10, the Give Kids The World Giving Card is a great gift for clients, employees or that person who seems to already have everything! The inside message reads, “In sharing the spirit of the holiday season, a gift has been made in your name to Give Kids The World. This special gift will brighten the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses and their families throughout the year.”

• Become one of Santa’s helpers by volunteering at the Village this season or any season.