Dream Vacation

Meet Five year old Aries Gonzalez. At 20 months old he was diagnosed with Leukemia. It was treated but he relapsed shortly thereafter. Again it was treated, but after a year of improvements he relapsed once more and had a stem cell transplant in 2008. He walks and talks with the swagger of a person whose knowledge is beyond their age.
Aries, and his mother Nicole, were selected to go on a dream vacation by the Non-profit group Dream Flite. They offer free flights to Disney to deserving kids and their parents that otherwise would never be able to go.

I met them at their house as they packed a few days before they left. After the Stem Cell transplant Aries got Gaft verse Host disease or GVHD. Basically the good new transplanted cells react with the old cells resulting in the skin defects. "It was so bad right after he had the surgery that he looked like a burn victim," his Aunt said.


On Wednesday we met at their house early in the morning so I could get then as they left and them I followed them to the airport.


Aries was glued to his mother the entire morning. Partly because it was still 5:30 am, but I had forgotten for a minute how old this child was and it was the only glimpse I had of him actually being a five year old.

To see the story and the rest of the photos check out the link HERE.