For us here at Give Kids The World Village, the greatest reward is seeing the smiles, laughter and joy of the resilient kids who visit. Despite months or years of treatments, surgeries and hospital visits, their smiles light up the Village as they make memories and enjoy time with their families.

While every child’s smile is wonderful and unique, here are seven of the wish kid smiles we’ve had the privilege of capturing:

Charlotte

When Charlotte was here for her wish trip in January 2018, she and her family did it all: horseback rides, ice cream, theme parks, splashing at the splash pad, Village parties and more. “We had a blast,” said Charlotte’s mom, Alicia. “So memorable. Words can’t express the fun and enjoyment we had.”

Shane and Wyatt

Shane and Wyatt have both visited the Village for their individual wishes, in 2014 and again in 2017. As you can see, these adorable Give Kids The World Alums were super excited to go back to school representing Give Kids The World in their tee shirts. Aren’t their smiles contagious?

Georgia

Sweet Georgia visited the Village back in November of 2017. When asked what her one wish would be by Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley, she answered, “I wish to sell cotton candy!” Well, our Village Personalization and Entertainment Teams made sure that Georgia got to do just that. She twirled cotton candy and created lots of smiles for our guests, staff and volunteers.

Kaden

We see lots of amazing talents and smiles on Wednesday nights during our Village Idol talent show. But one that especially touched our hearts was Kaden’s, who performed a special duet with his mom when he was here on his wish trip in January of 2017.

Khalia

When Khalia’s wish to visit Walt Disney World™ Resort brought her to the Village, she didn’t just want to meet her favorite princesses – she wanted to BE a princess. That wish became a reality when she got her royal makeover at Twinkle Hope’s Rockin’ Spa. And, when she needed a prince, her twin brother graciously stepped in.

Isaac

We met up with Isaac and his family during his Welcome Back trip to the Village. While they were here in 2012, Isaac loved to play miniature golf on Marc’s Dino-Putt course. While the dinosaurs squirting water and making noises scared him before, he was very excited to hit the course again this visit.

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