Megan ready to meet Minnie Mouse

Published 7:16 am Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Practically all Megan Madden watches is the Disney Channel.

The 10-year-old Spring Place Elementary School student loves the Mickey Mouse Club show. She loves “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “Shake it Up.” She loves her stuffed Minnie Mouse, her terrier poodle mix, T-Bone, and her horseback riding sessions.

What her mother, Tammy, loves is that her daughter’s dream is about to come true.

Tammy, Megan and husband and father Gene are headed to Atlanta today for Bert’s Big Adventure, a five-day VIP trip to Walt Disney World for 12 families who have children between 5 and 12 years old with chronic or terminal illnesses. Bert Weiss is an Atlanta-area radio station host and founder of the organization bearing his name.

The family found out they would go on the trip in December, not long before Christmas.

“She said ‘Really, really? I get to meet Minnie Mouse?’” Tammy said of her daughter. “That’s all she talks about is she wants to meet Minnie Mouse.”

Megan received a heart transplant when she was about 1 year old. It began with a virus that invaded her original heart, causing it to swell and nearly explode. One thing lead to another, and Megan ended up with a brain injury that prompted doctors to tell the family she would be “a vegetable” even with her heart transplant. Now, a photo of Megan’s heart donor, a dark-haired 3-year-old boy, sits in the Madden’s living room among the other family photos.

To say Megan has traveled a rough road to get to this point would be an understatement. She’s on anti-rejection medication that suppresses her immune system, making her susceptible to illnesses and unable to withstand long outings without feeling bad. Doctors initially said she would be deaf, blind and unable to walk after her heart transplant.

The family knows there are a number of problems she could develop because of the transplant and anti-rejection medication, but for now she’s making progress. Through years of physical therapy and after spending six years of her life on a feeding tube, she is able to talk. She’s also able to walk, usually with the aid of a walker, and she’s “smart,” her mother said, going to school as often as possible, and receiving her lessons at home during the more dangerous months, which include flu season.

Her parents, who attend Faith Worship Center, attribute her progress, her survival and even her conception to God’s answers to prayer. Tammy and Gene tried for 17 years to have a child. Megan wasn’t supposed to even live past her initial heart problems. She wasn’t supposed to be here.

“The Lord is our rock,” Tammy said. “We’ve been to 37 churches speaking Megan’s testimony. This is our ministry. We know she did not go through this in vain.”

The Maddens said they have many people to thank. There’s Weiss, of course, and all the people with Bert’s Big Adventure, and there are also church members, teachers, medical caregivers and others. Megan’s best friend Megan Carroll has also been a blessing in their lives, Tammy said, and they’ve “adopted” her as part of the family.

Megan Carroll said their friendship started in kindergarten when their teacher asked Megan who her best friend was. Megan pointed to Megan Carroll, and the two have been together ever since. Even the adults have become close friends.

Tammy said she hadn’t heard of Bert’s Big Adventure until a friend at Big D’s Flea Market mentioned it to her. Weiss, who can be heard on Q100 in Atlanta, selected the Maddens after an interview and application, the family said.

“This year’s kids are affected by a variety of conditions, from cerebral palsy to cystic fibrosis and cancer,” Weiss said in a written statement, “but the thing they all have in common is that they face tremendous challenges every day. It’s a privilege to help them leave those challenges behind for a few days so they can focus on spending time with their families and experiencing things they might never have the chance to enjoy otherwise.”

This is the 10th year for Bert’s Big Adventure. According to a statement from the organization, the nonprofit exists to assist families who have financial need and meet the other criteria. It “simply takes these families away from the daily routine of stress and provides intimate time where, for a few short moments, their focus turns from their child’s illness to having fun and enjoying these special experiences.”

For more information or to donate, visit www.bertsbigadventure.org.

More about Megan

http://megansjourneyback.blogspot.com

https://sites.google.com/site/megansjourneyback