MACKENZIE POOLE

#WeBackMac

DREAM TRIP TO DISNEY WORLD
AND GIVE KIDS THE WORLD VILLAGE

Mackenzie was only a year old, almost two when she was diagnosed with cancer. She was the best baby. Always happy and always curious. She loved her big brother and was the happiest when she had his attention.

Our world was turned upside down on November 1, 2020. Our healthy, happy baby was up against something we never thought could be possible. The fear and pain from that initial diagnosis were something I had never experienced before. In a lot of ways, we feel as though we skipped from having this sweet baby to having a little girl that grew up too quickly. Even though she was so little, she had such an understanding of what was happening around her. Before she could even communicate verbally how she was feeling or what was hurting she developed her own way of describing what was hurting her. At just two years old she was able to get to her bathroom when sick after chemo. She would then try to wipe her face and rinse her mouth. At just TWO! Being sick and in pain became normal to her. She does not remember life before cancer, so to her, it is just something she has battled almost all of her life.

Mackenzie loves the outdoors. She loves swimming, camping, athletics, dancing, and gymnastics. She has missed out on so many activities due to being sick and having a port in place. Life has been restrictive up to this point. Recently, she was able to start gymnastics and baby ballet. She has loved being involved in activities. During treatment, she had to be isolated due to being so severely immunocompromised. She hasn't been able to get into the lake or go swimming with friends.

This summer will be the first summer she has had since she was 1 to be able to enjoy all the things she loves. As a family, we love to go camping and travel. Having a child with cancer, we have never been able to travel far from our hospital in Little Rock, AR. We were finally cleared to go to the beach last year because her counts had consistently stayed up. That was the happiest our family has been since November 2020.
One of Mac’s favorite things is princesses. Our dream has been to take her to Disney after treatment to meet all of the princesses she adores. This trip would mean the world to her. She has fought so hard for so long. She is finally cancer free and able to enjoy her life. We are incredibly grateful.

Not only has Mackenzie struggled, but her big brother, Weston also struggled to watch his sister be so sick. He was so supportive of her and of us during our long stays away from home. He was always reassuring us he was going to be ok and we needed to be with Mac.

Having a trip to Disney would also mean the world to Weston. Our children have been through so much in the last few years. I can't think of anyone more deserving than them. We are so proud of how hard Mac fought, and how fiercely Weston supported Mac.

- Sara Poole