Father dashes Make-A-Wish dream for his daughter. Was he right or just being controlling?

I think that the dad is being a total jerk. To tell an average four year old child that they are going to Disney World and then telling them they can't go is cruel enough, but add in the fact that she is a survivor who went through two years of basically a living nightmare, and the dad is showing just how selfish of a person he is. I don't buy this whole "it should go to someone more deserving" nonsense. I think the dad is just trying to stick it to his ex.

IMO, there's way too little information to make a decision on. We're talking about a handful of half quotes on either side with no apparent context. It's clear that the article wants to make the father into a bad guy, but I'd say (again, from the little bit I was presented with), it's most likely that they're both kinda douchey, and definitely putting their daughter in the middle of everything.

Here's a fun question. If the dad never said anything and let MAW go through with it, do you think there would ever be an article about the mom refusing to let the dad be a part of the experience??

Wow that is rough.

Iaaaiws said almost exactly what I was thinking. IF the father truly meant what he said (and he may have, who knows) about the money should go towards someone who still has cancer then fine. I'm kind of guessing (again Guessing since I don't know the whole side) he said that to sound good but was really sticking it to the mom. Or maybe the mom is playing him to make him seem like the bad guy. I think she deserves to go. I wish both parents could go and get along long enough for the trip. That would probably mean more to this kid more than any Disney World trip ever would.

Quote from Count_Chocula : We have been givin to the Make-A-Wish foundation for over 10 years now. It should be limited to terminal cases only.

MAW is not just for terminal patients. As the parent of a child that has received their wish, I can tell you this first hand. My daughter was very ill with cancer and when asked by a MAW rep what her wish was, she said she was fine, she didn't want a trip. The rep told her it wasn't just trips, was there anything else she might want. She asked for a laptop so that she could keep up with her school work and in touch with her friends because she traveled so much for treatment. No one knows when asked, if their child is truly terminal. There is always hope. I know because mine was weeks from death (according to her Drs.) when she was finally diagnosed. She was in full remission in less than a year.

Quote from thearteest : MAW is not just for terminal patients. As the parent of a child that has received their wish, I can tell you this first hand. My daughter was very ill with cancer and when asked by a MAW rep what her wish was, she said she was fine, she didn't want a trip. The rep told her it wasn't just trips, was there anything else she might want. She asked for a laptop so that she could keep up with her school work and in touch with her friends because she traveled so much for treatment. No one knows when asked, if their child is truly terminal. There is always hope. I know because mine was weeks from death (according to her Drs.) when she was finally diagnosed. She was in full remission in less than a year.

Agreed. Our friends lost their son when he was one and a half years old. He experienced flu-like symptoms that didn't improve. They took him to the ER, and he died w/in 2 days.

Fast forward a couple of years and they had another son. When he was one and a half years old, he had the same symptoms, and they took him to the ER. This time they were able to save him, but he's had so much brain damage from the illness (they docs eventually said it had to be genetic since it happened again at the same age) that he has been left permanently debilitated. He's basically going to spend his entire life with the mental capacity of a two year old.

MAW just came by their house a few weeks ago, and his parents' wish for him to have a mechanized chair that he can get around in and also stand up in has been granted. He isn't terminal at all -- just permanently debilitated.

He's three and a half now and is finally learning to focus on faces and smile. That little boy is a trooper, and his parents are far stronger than I think I could ever be. Their faith is humbling.

You are an amazing woman having gone through that with your daughter. Losing a child is something I never want to do again, but I didn't have to go through the struggle of suffering like you did. Fortunately, your little girl is in remission. I will keep her and you in my prayers.

Quote from marg_fan : 9 Kids. He had a vasectomy after the ninth kid.

they can actually read & count?

I'm sure the dad is just doing it to be a dick. With that said, I think the mom should step-up and agree with the father. MAW should only be for terminal cases.

Something I thought about this morning... Coming from a person in a hostile situation w/a stupid parent who thinks about themselves first, you NEVER promise something if the other parent is a factor.

I'm pretty sure that MAW would have made it clear to her that both parents had to sign off on it, so especially if she thought there was ANY chance that he wouldn't, she should have kept it under wraps until being 100% positive that the father signed off and they were good to go. Given the fact they had already refused to let him go, I'm sure that the situation probably already came up several times and she knew where he was sitting on the issue, so hyping Disney up was pretty stupid and selfish on her part.

Doesn't matter what the other parent's motives are.. your first and only thought should be of the child, so you wait until everything is 100% before you promise it. I'd say at best she was being irresponsible, at worst, she was setting the dad up to look like an asshole so she could look better and "win".... "Oh you want to go to Disney?? too bad, your dad said no" (knowing full well what he was already going to say).

Quote from marg_fan : 9 Kids. He had a vasectomy after the ninth kid.

Isn't every child born in America automatically American? No child born in America could be Mexican (until the paper work for joint citizenship was done)

Quote from Curtieson : Isn't every child born in America automatically American? No child born in America could be Mexican (until the paper work for joint citizenship was done)

Well, apparently you can be born in Kenya and automatically be an American so you never know what strange things can happen.

The girl is 4 years old. Take her to the local theme park and she will probably be estactic.

Just spend more time with her at the park.

We need to get back to basics and stop thinking that taking a kid to Disney World is the best thing a parent can do for a child.

Tough luck for her, but she'll appreciate it one day

Quote from MissyMooMoo : The girl is 4 years old. Take her to the local theme park and she will probably be estactic. Just spend more time with her at the park. We need to get back to basics and stop thinking that taking a kid to Disney World is the best thing a parent can do for a child.

We didn't get to go until I was in high school...which I'm kinda glad about...I hated going to carnivals when I was younger because I was too short to ride the rides that I really wanted...Rides got sooooo much better once I got taller!

Quote from beanqueen : We didn't get to go until I was in high school...which I'm kinda glad about...I hated going to carnivals when I was younger because I was too short to ride the rides that I really wanted...Rides got sooooo much better once I got taller!

I took my kids to Disney World when my oldest son was 10. It was really funny because he thought he was too old to go. He was upset that I had waited too long and thought he wouldn't enjoy it at his age.

Of course, he ended up having a great time. And he was old enough to remember being there.

I wish I had the money to take my boys back now. They are 17 and 20 now. They would probably prefer to go without me but I would love going on the trip again with them.