According to his mom, Emmett O’Connell is a typical nine-year-old boy who likes to run around and not sit still. Often, he can be found outside, playing games like cops and robbers, climbing trees, going to the park, running track, or scooting and biking around the neighborhood. Emmett is a fan of sports like football and basketball. Emmett also lives with cystic fibrosis (CF), which requires him to conquer daily treatment routines as well as other special procedures, like those he had in the year leading up to his breather. After witnessing Emmett handle his tough year with grace, Emmett’s CF care team nominated him for a Take A Breather wish.
Take A Breather made the plans, and Emmett was off to Disney World in Orlando, Florida with his mom, dad, and two sisters: Noreen and Brigid! There, the O’Connell family had a great time as they attended a pirate party, ate endless ice cream, visited Magic Kingdom, saw Mickey Mouse, trained like a Jedi (which was perfect for Emmett who is a devoted Star Wars fan!), visited Epcot, and enjoyed Disney World!
Emmett’s mom, Maria, wrote, “I’ve shed many tears over cystic fibrosis and the toll it has taken on Emmett (and all with this disease), but this past week I’ve cried more tears of happiness than I can remember. To see Emmett, and his sisters, Noreen and Brigid, “take their breather” at the Give Kids the World Village was an extraordinary and unforgettable experience. This past week, the burden of CF was forgotten. Emmett experienced more fun times and got to live how a child should, without cares and with a lot of laughs! Even though he had to stick to his daily treatment regimen, the anticipation of fun for the day overshadowed this. We couldn’t have taken this trip without TAB. Thank you! Thank you for giving us tears of happiness, instead of tears of frustration! Thank you, most of all, for the giant smiles left on Emmett’s and his sisters’ faces!”
