'A day he'll never forget': N.S. boy gets wish to go to Disney World before losing his sight
When nine-year-old Francis Ji’j Googoo lays eyes on the Magic Kingdom for the first time, it's expected to be love at first sight.
Googoo, a resident of Eskasoni First Nation, lives with autism and is non-verbal. He also has Bardet-Biedl syndrome -- a rare genetic condition that is causing his vision to deteriorate rapidly.
"It's going to cause him to lose his sight," said Googoo’s uncle, Paul MacDonald. “And his brother Liam wants him to see Disney before all this happens."
Recently, the Make-A-Wish Foundation paid a visit to Eskasoni to make Googoo's trip official. Dozens of family and friends turned out for the ceremony that was livestreamed on social media.
"As you watch him grow up, it just seems like more and more stuff keeps happening to him and it's unfair," MacDonald said. “We're just so happy as a family to be able to give him a chance to go see something happy."
Googoo’s seven-year-old brother Liam may be younger than Francis Ji’j, but he looks out for him the way a big brother would. Liam has been to Disney already and wanted his brother to witness the magic for himself.
"He'll probably like it there, because there's a whole bunch of stuff there," Liam Googoo said. "When he sees his wish, he'll be really happy - and I want him to be happy."
To top things off, at the Make-A-Wish announcement, Googoo was named Honourary Fire Chief by the Eskasoni Volunteer Fire Department.
"It was a day he'll never forget," MacDonald said. “He got a hat - so did Liam - and a jacket."
While the trip to Disney is set for November, the family has one more wish. They are hoping to get in touch with a hospital in Minnesota that may have a last hope procedure to save the boy's sight.
"Like, how do you go from being able to see everybody and then not being able to?" asked MacDonald.
MacDonald added it’s all been a difficult – and bittersweet – journey for Googoo and his family, but for now, the focus is on a wish granted and a dream come true.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.