Ten-year-old Courtenay resident Kai White will head out on the adventure of a lifetime next week as he and his family travel to the island of Kauai in search of dinosaurs, thanks to a Help Fill A Dream and local Comox Valley businesses.
White’s Dream of a Jurassic Park tour of the Hawaiian island will include a helicopter ride, incredible scenery, some beach time and a visit to some sites where the movies Jurassic Park and Jurassic World were filmed.
White’s dream is coming true thanks to VancouverIsland-based charity Help Fill A Dream. He will celebrate his 11th birthday while on his trip.
Help Fill A Dream has worked with White for the past three years as he endured treatment for pre b cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Help Fill A Dream supported White and his family through both its Family Assistance and Quality of Life programs.
Once, during a particularly stressful period of treatment at BC Children’s’ Hospital which required him to be away from home for a few months, Help Fill A Dream rented the family an apartment in Vancouver so his pets, a dog and cat, could be with him to provide much-needed comfort and reduce his anxiety.
In September, Help Fill A Dream invited White and his family to Victoria to experience some dinosaurs up close thanks to Pangea Fossils. He got to see and even work on cleaning and restoring dinosaur bones as part of a T-Rex that is being assembled in Victoria.
“It was the best day of my life,” said White as he stood among a collection of assembled dinosaurs, various bones and other artifacts. Picture attached.
White and his family were the featured family at the Courtenay Gala and Auction, organized by local volunteers and presented by Fix Auto Courtenay, in 2017. This event raises money to make dreams come true every year for Comox Valley children.
Help Fill a Dream provides hope, help and happiness for Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands children with life-threatening conditions. The foundation fulfills dreams, improves quality of life and assists families with care and financial support. For more than 33 years, Help Fill A Dream has been the local alternative for making Dreams come true for Island children.