At The Dream Factory, their mission is clear: to make dreams come true for kids in Manitoba battling life-threatening illnesses and to be a source of joy, laughter and hope for kids and families in our province going through an incredibly difficult experience.

They rely solely on the generous support of people and businesses in our community to continue bringing dreams to life. That is why we are hosting 'Dream Ride 2023'. To help make Dreams come true for kids in our community going through some really tough stuff. 

Last year, 44 Dreams came true for some incredible kids! They also met 42 new Dream Kids last year - and you can help bring their Dreams to life at Dream Ride 2023!

Kids Like Cain.

9-year-old Cain was always an active kid - he loved biking, hiking, and skiing. But in 2021, Cain's life completely changed.

Over the holidays, Cain's parents noticed he was limping. They took him for an X-ray in Minnedosa that revealed something unsettling. The next day, they were driving into Winnipeg for an MRI and CT scan. 

The scans and tests revealed Cain's parents' worst fear: Cain had cancer. A high grade, aggressive osteosarcoma tumour on his right tibia bone.

Cain began treatment right away - he underwent 29 weeks of chemotherapy, with surgery on week 11 to remove the tumour from his leg. Cain's complex surgery included replacing his entire tibia.

In October 2022, Cain finished chemotherapy and is now in remission. He has had lots of follow-up and will continue to be monitored for the next few years to make sure the cancer doesn't return. Eventually, Cain will require additional leg surgery to limit the difference in his leg lengths.

Now, Cain is slowly recovering. His hair has all grown back and he's getting his energy back. As he recovers, Cain needs to use a wheelchair, but he has a passion for finding new ways to do things. Since going into remission, Cain has even started learning how to use a sledge to skate and has been playing on a hockey team in Brandon!

With all the time Cain has spent in the hospital for chemotherapy, surgeries, and tests, he's missed out on a lot of the fun of being a a kid.

That's where you come in!

Your support at Dream Ride 2023 will help give Cain a Dream come true, and the opportunity to make happy childhood memories.

Cain hasn't decided on his Dream come true yet, but we know that it'll be something adventurous, creative and fun!

Click here to read Cain's story!

Meet Kendall

At 3 years old, Kendall is like most kids her age. She’s active, bubbly, and loves being outside. But Kendall also had a noticeable red mark between her right eye and the bridge of her nose. For a while, it didn’t seem to be a concern, until it started growing in size.

Kendall went to the Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg, where she had the bump surgically removed in April last year. Once removed, doctors knew that this growing bump was a tumour, and Kendall was diagnosed with an aggressive category of pediatric cancer.

Kendall and her family had to relocate to Winnipeg for her 42 weeks of high-dose chemotherapy treatment, and could only visit home for a few days at a time every two or three weeks. Kendall also needed to have radiation and was referred to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to receive “Proton Beam Radiation”, a safer option for Kendall with significantly less long-term side-effects to a small, growing child. Kendall and her family had to stay in Minnesota for two months while she received her radiation treatments there.

Kendall has finished her last high dose chemo treatment as of February and has begun her six-month treatment of maintenance chemo. Finally, Kendall is able to live at home in Plumas, MB full-time! She only has to go into Winnipeg once a week for her treatments.

This Dream Kid’s outgoing personality is truly what has gotten herself and her family through the last year. Kendall loves to be outside and is a true farm kid, so spending time in the city and driving to appointments can be very trying for her. She can’t wait for summer to come so she can get back to some regular kid activities!

Kendall hasn’t decided on her Dream come true yet, but she loves to swim and has mentioned that she’d like to have her very own pool! And with your help, we can bring Kendall’s Dream to life!

Click here to read Kendall's story.

About The Dream Factory

The Dream Factory is a charitable organization dedicated to fulfilling dreams for kids who are battling life-threatening illnesses. We’re unique because we’re based in Manitoba – and all of the funds we raise stay in this province to help local children. Everything we do is focused on helping sick kids and their families.

The Dream Factory relies solely on the generous support of people and businesses. Since 1983, when we were founded as The Rainbow Society, we’ve created cherished memories for nearly 800 families in Manitoba.

Our mandate simply requires that a potential Dream Kid should be under the age of 18 and able to communicate their dream. We include all immediate family members in the dream and ensure that it's a memorable experience outside of the hospital environment.

On average, we fulfill approximately 30 dreams in a given year, though we have been making more and more dreams come true in recent years. 2020 was one of the most difficult years for our Dream Kids. We currently have nearly 80 Dreams waiting to come true. And we can't bring them to life without you!

The average cost of a dream is over $15,000.00 CAD, a cost that continues to increase with rising travel costs, a challenging U.S. dollar, and dreamers that keep getting more creative, especially when thinking of Dreams 'closer to home'.

We couldn't do what we do without the incredible support of our donors and volunteers. Thank you for helping us bring even more dreams to life in 2023!