A few years ago, the idea of even shaking someone's hand, let alone going to Disney World, was out of the question for Maysa Milligan.

When she was a baby, Milligan was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. According to Cystic Fibrosis Canada, the genetic disease is very often fatal, and currently has no cure. It causes "ongoing infection in the lungs, with destruction of lungs and loss of lung function, (which) will eventually lead to death in the majority of people with CF."

Then a little over a year ago, things changed. Milligan was one of the first in her age category to get access to a new form of treatment called Trikafta, a mix of three CF drugs that has had a major effect on people with the disease. The three medications work together to essentially correct the fluid dysregulation caused by Cystic Fibrosis. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), "clinical trials of Trikafta show improved lung functioning, improved CF respiratory symptoms, increased weight and fewer pulmonary exacerbations B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·” in particular, exacerbations leading to hospitalizations and requiring IV antibiotics."

Essentially, this means that people like Maysa Milligan can start living their lives again.

"Through the years, Maysa has literally missed out on so much stuff with our family and now that she's on Trikafta and is healthier and able to do this ... Maysa's missed out on a lot in her life, and this is a huge thing for our family," said her father, John.

Milligan, now 13, has enroled in school for the first time. She is taking many, many dance classes per week, and has recently discovered a love for the biggest and scariest rides she can find. Hence the trip to Disney World.

"I want to take the biggest roller coaster I can find," she said, her smile lighting up at the prospect.

"We've had to be fairly conservative her whole life with that kind of stuff," John said. "Last year we were in Vancouver and we went to Cultus Lake and all of a sudden Maysa wanted to be on the tallest, fastest and scariest ones. She's making up for lost time in one go."

Milligan and her family (mom Sarah, John and two siblings) are currently getting ready to fly to Florida to visit the theme park. Their one-week trip, which includes fast passes, travel, food and any other expense, is being covered by the Help Fill a Dream Foundation, a program on Vancouver Island to help families have their dreams fulfilled, after children have these difficult experiences.

Through the years, Sarah has been pushing for the province to approve Trikafta for people Maysa's age. Sarah has reached out to different media outlets over the years to push for the drug, which was approved for children as young as two years old in 2023. Maysa started receiving the drug in 2022.

The Milligans were sent off on their trip by Georgia Strait Towing, which helps volunteer and fundraise for Help Fill a Dream, on Friday, Jan. 17. Their trip starts on Jan. 29.

And judging by the look on her face, Maysa couldn't be more excited.