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 2021'. To help make Dreams come true for kids in our community going through some really tough stuff. Kids like sisters Brie and Aria.
Meet Aria and Brie
Aria (2 years old) and Brie (4 years old) have already fought tremendous battles at a very young age. Aria has a debilitating neurological disorder and Brie has cancer, specifically Ewing Sarcoma.
At 18 months old Aria’s left eye kept going inwards and occasionally so did her right eye. Aria used to stand, use her walking toy, go around furniture and could sit up perfectly. Now she does not even try to walk, has no balance, can’t sit up properly, and will cry out if you try to stand her up or she will just fall backwards. Her crawling turned into her just dragging her legs behind her and finally to not being able to move.
An initial visit with Brandon pediatricians yielded no answers and resulted in an emergent referral to the Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg. Since then Aria has met with several specialists, had bloodwork, genetic testing, MRI, spinal taps, ultrasounds, occupational health assessments and numerous other diagnostic tests.
After extensive appointments, doctors have determined Aria has a rare disease is called metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). Leukodystrophy causes problems with movement, vision, hearing, balance, ability to eat, memory, behavior, and thought. Leukodystrophies are progressive diseases meaning that the symptoms of the disease tend to get worse over time. They have given Aria about 2 years.
Brie developed a lump on her left cheek just below her ear around Christmas. On December 28 she went for an ultrasound in Neepawa which resulted in an emergent referral to a pediatric oncologist at the Children’s hospital in Winnipeg. By Dec 31, she was going for a CT scan with a biopsy scheduled for January 5th, followed by a PET scan.
Brie was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare cancer affecting only approximately 3 children in a million. She will need ongoing treatments every two weeks, chemotherapy, and possibly surgery and radiation, in Winnipeg for the next foreseeable future. On January 19 a port was surgically implanted to facilitate the treatments which began on January 20th. The chemotherapy schedule has involved multiple days of treatment at Children’s hospital in Winnipeg, followed by daily injections, medications at home, and surgery for mandible (jaw) bone removable & reconstruction.
These sisters have already been through so much. Your participation in The 2021 Dream Ride can help bring light to an otherwise dark time for these little warriors.
The 2021 Dream Ride is on July 24th, 2021!
On Saturday, July 24th, 2021, Dream Ride 2020 will take place virtually.
This year - we are challenging riders to put their own special spin on The Dream Ride. There are no mandatory guidelines on how cyclists are to participate - as long as you get outside, cycle, and help raise funds for Brie and Aria.
Here's a few ideas around how some of our Dream Riders are going to participate in 2021:
- Enjoy a beautiful 14KM Family Ride through Wasagaming;
- Challenge yourself to a 43-50KM Road Ride through Wasagaming; OR
- Ride your own route - and share on social media tagging The Dream Factory on Facebook or on Instagram (@thedreamfactorymb)
In addition to cycling, stay tuned for more opportunities to help make dreams come true including raffles, contests, and some very cool Dream Ride merch for sale!
Please make sure to adhere to all COVID-19 guidelines while preparing and participating. Stay safe and have fun!
How YOU CAN HELP, in this Community Fundraiser:
1. ENTER the Dream Ride 2021 as a participant! Collect donations online, or CLICK HERE to use our offline pledge form and accept cash and credit donations from your friends and family.
2. SPONSOR this local fundraiser - contact Andrew at The Dream Factory at (204) 989-4010 or by email at andrew@thedreamfactory.ca for more information.
3. DONATE by monetary donation, prize donation, and/or your services!
Sponsors
Meyers Quality Meat & Groceries
2021 Dream Ride Leaderboard
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 make Brie and Aria's Dreams come true without you!
The average cost of a dream is over $10,000.00 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 2021!