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Help Fill a Dream sends Cordova Bay kid to Disneyland

Disney the dream destination of choice for Island kids with life threatening conditions
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Luca Dall-Acqua accepts his gift, a trip to Disneyland, with Ted Balderson of Christie Phoenix Insurance and Craig Smith of Help Fill A Dream. (Travis Paterson/B次元官网网址 Staff)

Around the time of Luca DallB次元官网网址橝cquaB次元官网网址檚 fourth birthday his parents noticed something wasnB次元官网网址檛 right.

He drank a lot and, he peed a lot, but he ate very little, felt unwell and started losing weight.

Doctors discovered his pancreas had stopped working, the result of Type 1 diabetes, said his mom, Dianne DallB次元官网网址橝cqua.

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It took a few days in the hospital to get him sorted. Five years later, Luca, 8, lives with a tube under his skin that connects to an insulin pump. He checks his blood sugar levels every two hours to prevent further damage to his organs and to prevent the risk of entering a coma. HeB次元官网网址檚 able to do this on his own and with help from aids as a Grade 3 student at Cordova Bay elementary.

The technology is a life saver but it hasnB次元官网网址檛 been quite the care-free style of life most Saanich kids experience. And thatB次元官网网址檚 why Help Fill A Dream is flying Luca and his family to California to visit Disneyland and Universal Studios this week.

B次元官网网址淲e actually have six families [of kids with various life altering conditions] in either Disney World or Disneyland right now,B次元官网网址 said Craig Smith, executive director of Help Fill A Dream.

A grateful Luca will enjoy his ninth birthday while on the trip. HeB次元官网网址檒l also have $200 cash to spend on a souvenir to remember it by, a little present the Help Fill A Dream calls B次元官网网址渕ad money.B次元官网网址

Smith made the presentation to the DallB次元官网网址橝cqua family on Tuesday in the Christie Phoenix Insurance office in Royal Oak. The ofice is home to insurance agent and employee benefit specialist who ran several fundraisers in 2018 that benefited Help Fill A Dream.

B次元官网网址淏aldersonB次元官网网址檚 support of Help Fill A Dream is much more than just fundraising,B次元官网网址 Smith said. B次元官网网址淗e regularly acts as a resource for the organization calling on his extensive network to assist with helping to make B次元官网网址榙reamsB次元官网网址 come true.B次元官网网址

Help Fill a Dream provides B次元官网网址榙reams,B次元官网网址 which include help and happiness for Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands children with life-threatening conditions to improve quality of life, and to assist families with care and financial support.

Earlier this year Balderson used connections to create a B次元官网网址榙reamB次元官网网址 for an Island child go not only visit the Boston BruinsB次元官网网址 home opener in Boston, but also visit the dressing room to meet his favourite players after the game. This year Balderson also donated $50 to Help Fill A Dream for every Victoria HarbourCats double play, which ended up totalling $1,100 (12 double-plays).

reporter@saanichnews.com


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