Montana Hope project sends family to Disney World
From top, Tyler, Ashley and ‘Moose’ Uhrich enjoy a lighthearted moment before leaving for Disney World recently. Moose was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was two. The trip, a gift from the Montana Hope Project, aimed to take the family’s minds off the tumor and enjoy life at the Magic Kingdom for a week. Ethan Smith/Leader
By Ethan Smith
Leader Staff
Sometimes we all need a week off.
But when you are 3-years-old suffering from an inoperable brain tumor, a week in Disney World can be a Godsend.
Ashley Uhrich and her sons Tyler and "Moose" retuned from the land of fairy tales, cartoon characters and magic recently, after getting a much-needed respite from the worries that come from Moose's tumor, thanks to the Montana Hope Project.
The Montana Hope Project is just what it says it is, giving families a ray of hope in what is often a bleak situation, thanks to fundraising efforts by the Montana Highway Patrol, as local troopers work to help send a child with a serious illness, and the family, to a place like the Magic Kingdom.
For Ashley, it was a week off without having to worry about tumors, visits to the doctor or operations for Moose, who was diagnosed on his second birthday.
"It is nice to know that we've got one family vacation in, in case something doesn't happen and he doesn't wake up," Ashley said before her family left for Florida. "It's nice not to have to worry about the next MRI, the next complication, just for a week."
Moose, who will turn four next month, was diagnosed with hearing loss in his right ear shortly after he was born, but it wasn't until months later that doctors figured out he had a tumor. To make matters worse, the tumor is located right on his brain stem, inside his cerebellum, Ashley said, so doctors are hesitant to go in and try to remove it from such a critical area.
On the outside, Moose is a happy-go-lucky kid who likes to horse around with brother, Tyler, who is 5 1/2, but Ashley lives with the fear that the tumor will create more debilitating conditions for the spunky kid. If that happens, doctors will go in and operate.
"If he loses his walking [ability] or his speech, then they'll do something," she said.
After arriving at Disney World, the family was met by representatives from "Give Kids the World," an organization that works with families arriving there who have benefited from groups like the Montana Hope Project. The Give Kids the World folks work with families from all over the world, trying to make sure their stay is as fun as it can be.
For Ashley, Tyler and Moose, it was just what the doctor ordered.
"Everyday is a miracle right now," Ashley said. "I just appreciate the time I have with him, everyday."