Londoners came together in a big way to bring some magic to a little girl who had her Make a Wish Trip to Walt Disney World postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Saturday, over 100 people came together for a Disney drive-by to cheer up nine-year-old Cloey Prince and her two sisters after an online post on Facebook exploded.
There was an array of Disney characters, from princesses to pirates, and even a few superheroes as well as several first responders who stopped by to say hi and bring some gifts to brighten her day.
Cloey’s parents had initially thought only a few friends and family would show up but were blown away by the response from the community.
“A lot of them are complete strangers that came together. It’s kind of amazing what community can do in hard times,” Cloey’s mom Kassandra Prince said.
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Cloey has systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a rare form of juvenile arthritis that affects her entire body, including her joints and organs. It is more commonly known as Still’s disease, which is the name used for adults with the condition.
“She gets fevers and rashes, and there are lots of times where she can’t even walk,” Kassandra said.
Cloey, her parents, and two little sisters Izzy and Kristin were set to fly out on May 16.
Due to COVID-19, Disney World and Disneyland have been closed since mid-March. Florida, the state where Disney World is located, currently has more than 35,000 cases of COVID-19.
To help make the day extra special, Rose and Doug McCulloch, owners of McCulloch’s Costume & Party Supplies on Dundas Street, donated 17 costumes to bring some more Disney charters to the street, like the Seven Little Dwarfs and Winnie-the-Pooh.
“We saw it on the news, and both looked at each other and said, ‘we got to jump on this’,” Doug said.
McCulloch’s has been closed to the public since the pandemic began but is still offering curbside pickup for costumes and balloons.
To join in on the Disney Magic, both Princess Anna of Arendelle and Spiderman also came out to spread the joy.
When he is not fighting bad guys, Spiderman, a.k.a. Peter Parker, said he is part of a volunteer team called Heroically Ever After. In their free time, the team visits children in hospitals to spread some cheer.
“I can’t do my regular hospital visits right now because of social distancing, so this is the next best thing. I figured I could brighten at least one person’s day,” Spiderman said.
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Cloey was overwhelmed by the surprise and told reporters it definitely makes up for their trip being on hold.
“I was really upset when it got postponed, but I am not upset anymore.”
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