'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.
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