Edgewood student gets own magic moment

Dylan Martinez might not have been feeling well lately, but you can bet things got much brighter thanks to the group at Magic Moments. 

After walking into school on Dec. 14, he was led to the auditorium where friends, family and faculty greeted him by shouting “Dylan, you’re going to Disney World!” Normally very talkative and outgoing, he was left speechless as he stared at the banner made by the Homewood High School cheerleaders, which said, “Congrats, Dylan! You’re going to Disney World!”

“This is a kid who doesn’t stop talking all day. I’ve never seen him speechless before,” said Stephanie Lorberbaum, Dylan’s special education case manager. “This is like, the best thing ever. I don’t think it could go to a more deserving family.”

With the help of Magic Moments, the only wish-granting organization that is dedicated exclusively to children in Alabama who are living with life-threatening illnesses, Dylan and his family were given a trip to Disney World for six days. The goal is to help Dylan, who has an epilepsy condition, relax and have some fun.

“He was really a perfect fit because we always try to work with people in the area,” said Shequita Malone of Magic Moments. “He needed a pick-me-up, he and his family.”

During the week that Dylan is in Florida, he will be able to visit Universal Studios, Sea World, meet Mickey Mouse and go on rides, but he is most excited to go to Lego Land.

“It’s magical. I never imagined that Dylan would get his magic moment,” said Dylan’s mother, Bernice Ruiz. “It’s something we never believed we could have attained. [I want] to just see the smile of my child.”