Brief Description:
Twice a year, groups of Israeli children with cancer are invited to embark on dream trips to Orlando or Los Angeles, where they’re able to enjoy theme parks, local adventures, and the opportunity to forget their challenges and just be kids.
The Need:
As treatments lower their energy levels and affect their appearance, children with cancer often become reluctant to leave home, and their enjoyment of life wanes. Medical care for cancer patients is both emotionally taxing and financially draining for the entire family.
Joyful experiences are essential to keeping up the children’s spirits as they fight this disease, but finding the time and money to have these adventures while still tending to their kids’ health conditions is a great challenge to parents.
The Program:
Larger Than Life offers annual trips to Orlando, Florida and Los Angeles, California for 35-40 Israeli children with cancer at no cost to their families. The children are accompanied by medical staff and dedicated counselors (most of whom won a battle with cancer and are alumni of Larger Than Life programs) throughout the journey, and are able to relax and have a great time with friends facing similar situations.
We’ve seen incredibly powerful bonds formed during these trips. The children — both Jews and Arabs — bond over their hopes, dreams, and challenges; many soon choose to enjoy the trips without their hats or wigs, feeling relaxed, accepted, and loved.
For two magical weeks, children are able to step away from the constant conversations of treatments and medicine, and simply be a kid.
Dream Trip to Orlando
The journey to Orlando includes adventures in all the Disney parks, the Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios, a relaxing evening at the Arabian Nights show, and tours of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Epcot, and other attractions.
Dream Trip to Los Angeles
On their trip to Los Angeles, the children are immersed in a fantasy world as they enjoy visits to Universal Studios, the Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, and Disneyland. In addition, they are able to spend an evening feeling like royalty at our annual Larger Than Life gala held in their honor.
XX
The cost of sending one child to LA or Orlando.
As the cost of treatment is an enormous financial burden, this program is entirely free for the children to participate, and is funded by the generosity of people like you. With your help, we can continue to support the heroic parents as they navigate the challenges of having a child with cancer.
