Colin’s Dream

On August 28, 2006, two-year-old baby boy, Colin, of Toms River was diagnosed with a life changing, chronic disease. Baby Colin’s life was now filled with needles, finger sticks, low blood sugars, and several hospital visits. Colin’s life was changed forever.

Colin had a very difficult, stressful four years and dreamed of finally having a break. All Colin wanted was time away from this stressful life, time away from doctors, time away from all the worries, and most importantly, just wanted to be a child.

Colin always dreamed of visiting Walt Disney World in Florida. Disney World was the perfect place to let go of all the stress and, of course, be a kid. From the moment you walk under the train station and onto Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom, the magic begins. You can’t help but smile and be happy while in Disney World and this is all Colin wanted. He wanted to be in a place where it was stress-free and happiness surrounded him.

On October 1, 2010, Colin’s dream came true. Colin was able to visit Disney World and meet all his favorite characters. He was able to ride the rides, watch the parades, see the fireworks, and most importantly, be a kid.

Kaity’s Dream

Twelve year old, Kaity of Jackson has been dealing with a number of chronic and serious illnesses throughout her entire life. These illnesses have prevented her from having a normal childhood. Instead of being able to go out and have fun with no worries, Kaity’s life was filled with stress and several doctors’ appointments.

The one thing that kept Kaity going was her love for animals and nature. Kaity has several pets, including dogs, cats, and ferrets. When Kaity was asked what her dream was, rather than telling The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore, Kaity decided to draw a picture of her dream instead. Kaity handed the volunteers a picture of her and a dolphin. Kaity’s dream was to go to Discovery Cove and swim with the dolphins.

The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore came through and sent Kaity, her mother, and her grandmother on a fun filled week. Kaity and her family enjoyed doing the things Kaity always dreamed of doing. Not only did the family get to spend the entire week with nature surrounding them, but they also got to swim with dolphins, spend time together, and most importantly, Kaity was able to be a kid.

Amara’s Dream

Thirteen year old, Amara, of Howell was a dancer and acrobat. These were her two passions. She loved getting up and moving around. She had a great talent, but after an accident, she was not sure if she could ever dance again. The accident left Amara with several disabilities, resulting in a very difficult life change.

Amara’s dream was to bring happiness to other children that suffered from illnesses. She had the perfect idea on how to go about doing this.

Amara requested a shopping spree, but not a typical teenage girl-shopping spree. She wanted to buy crafts and supplies to help make this dream come true. The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore sent a limo to Amara’s house to bring her to Lee’s Art Store in New York City. She bought over $1000 worth of crafts, including tons of different paper, paints, markers, crayons, etc. and made cards, paintings, and even wrote stories.

That was not the end though. The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore also arranged a weekend for Amara and her family in New York City. They were able to spend the weekend at a luxury hotel and were given tickets to a Broadway show.

Today, Amara has started her own non-profit organization called Riccio-Pick Me Ups.

Tommy’s Dream

Seventeen year old, Tommy, has had chronic conditions that left him in severe pain and with body temperature control issues. Tommy’s body cannot cool off when it needs to or warm up when he is cold. His body does not regulate temperatures like it should due to his chronic conditions. Because of these issues with his internal temperature regulator, Tommy dreamed of having a hot tub in his backyard. The hot tub would help Tommy relieve the pain in his body and help him relax when he needed to.

The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore had a six-seater hot tub installed in Tommy’s backyard so that his entire family could enjoy the hot tub with him. This is not the only thing The Dream Factory provided.

The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore always likes to go above and beyond for their dream children. The organization learned that Tommy is a huge New York Yankeees fan, and The Dream Factory surprised him with Yankee tickets for him and his father to attend a game. Tommy was thrilled and he and his father spent father-son time at the baseball game.

Parker’s Dream

Parker is a fifteen-year-old boy who lives a difficult life. He is not an ordinary fifteen-year-old. Parker suffers from a chronic illness that affects his every day routine. Parker’s two-year-old brother also suffers from a chronic illness. Parker always dreamed of going on a vacation with his entire family where they could leave all the stress behind and enjoy time together.

Parker’s dream was to go on a cruise, swim with dolphins, and eat as many cheeseburgers as he could. The Dream Factory of the Jersey Shore sent Parker, his step sister, his brother, and his parents on an NCL cruise from New York City to the Bahamas. Parker got to swim with the dolphins, hang out with his family, enjoy time away from his stressful life, and eat all the cheeseburgers he wanted!

Addison’s Disease

Addison’s Disease is a disorder that occurs when the body produces an insufficient amount of certain hormones that are made by the adrenal glands. In Addison’s Disease, the adrenal glands produce too little cortisol and often insufficient levels of aldosterone.

Symptoms of Addison’s include:

• Muscle weakness and fatigue
• Weight loss and decreased appetite
• Darkening of the skin (hyperpigmentation)
• Low blood pressure, even fainting
• Salt craving
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• Nausea, diarrhea or vomiting
• Muscle or joint pains
• Irritability
• Depression
• Body hair loss or sexual dysfunction in women
• Pain in your lower back, abdomen or legs
• Severe vomiting and diarrhea, leading to dehydration
• Low blood pressure
• Loss of consciousness
• High potassium (hyperkalemia)

All treatments for Addison’s Disease involve hormone replacement therapy to correct the levels of steroid hormones the body isn’t producing. Also, adding a sufficient amount of sodium is recommended, especially during heavy exercise, when the weather is hot, or if there is gastrointestinal upsets. Doctors may also suggest a temporary increase in the dosage when faced with a stressful situation, such as an operation, an infection or a minor illness.

Living with a chronic illness, such as Addison’s, is not an easy thing. It causes a very stressful and difficult life and The Dream Factory of the Jersey Shore grants children’s dreams to try and bring some relief during these difficult lives.

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Dealing with a chronic illness is not easy and that is what The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore tries to help with. Granting dreams for those who have to live with a chronic illness is what this organization is all about. We have granted dreams for children with all different types of illness, but more specifically, those with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, also known as POTS. But the question is, what exactly is POTS? POTS is a form of dysautonomia which is estimated to impact between 1,000,000 and 3,000,000 people around the world. POTS is a form of orthostatic intolerance which is associated with excessive tachycardia and many other symptoms upon standing. POTS patients deal with the following on a day-to-day basis:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Diminished concentration
• Tremulousness (shaking)
• Lightheadedness
• Heart palpitations
• Exercise intolerance
• Fainting
• Coldness or pain in the extremities
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath

POTS patients can also develop a reddish purple color in their legs upon standing, which is believed to be caused by blood pooling or poor circulation. POTS patients deal with increased heart rates upon standing, causing some of the symptoms such as lightheadedness, fainting, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, coldness, etc. There is no cure for POTS, and treatment plans focus on controlling symptoms to try to make day to day living more bearable. Because each patient is different, the treatment for POTS will always be different for each patient. In order to find a treatment plan that works for you, you must consult with a physician who has experience in this field. The most common treatments for POTS are increasing fluid intake to 2-3 liters per day, increasing salt intake to 3,000 mg-10,000 mg per day, wearing compression stockings, raising the head of the bed, reclined exercise including rowing, recumbent bicycling, and swimming, a healthy diet, and possible medication to decrease symptoms. POTS patients have to deal with a struggle every day and some patients even have trouble with the most simple tasks, including just getting out of bed. The life of a POTS patient is unimaginable and that is what The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore is all about. We grant dreams to those who are chronically ill. Although POTS is not as well-known as something like cancer, POTS is still a life struggle and children diagnosed with chronic illnesses deserve to have a happy life as well. Living with conditions such as POTS is not easy and The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore tries to lighten the lives of those children who suffer from chronic illnesses.

Savannah’s Dream

Savannah has not had the easiest life. When she was younger, she was diagnosed with a chronic illness, which has filled her life with medications and doctor’s appointments. But that was not all. Savannah’s life was complicated by another factor….Hurricane Sandy.

In 2012, the Jersey Shore was hit with a terrible hurricane that wiped out several homes and businesses, including Savannah’s house. Savannah and her family lost almost everything because of Hurricane Sandy and are still suffering to this day.

For Savannah, a sense of normalcy was important. Savannah’s dream was to have a normal Christmas morning with her family again. It seems like such a simple thing, a “normal” Christmas, but under the circumstances of both chronic illness and the devastation of a natural disaster, life was far from “normal.” To help make life less stressful, even for just a day, The Dream Factory helped Savannah and her family live Savannah’s dream. Savannah, her twin brother, Adam, and her older brother, David, provided the Dream Factory with their Christmas wish lists, which included a Wii-U and some games to go along with it.

The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore surprised Savannah and her family on Christmas Eve Morning with several wrapped presents, including a Wii-U and several games to go along with it. The organization also provided Savannah’s parents with gift cards to restaurants so they can enjoy a night out together.

The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore gave Savannah and her family a Christmas that they will never forget.

Chris’s Dream

Chris has had a very difficult life. Chris was born with a chronic illness nineteen years ago. For someone who has struggled with illness his entire life, Chris is a very optimistic young man and has always tried to have a positive outlook on life. One thing that has always helped him through tough times is his dog. Chris has a yellow lab, Gunner, who always stands by his side. Whenever Chris meets a new person, his first question is always “Do you have a dog?” or “What is the name of your dog?”

Chris applied to The Dream Factory over a year ago with the hopes of meeting Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen is a man that Chris deeply admires and Chris has always listened to Springsteen’s music. “Merry Christmas Baby” is a special song for Chris. This particular song helps him fall asleep at night during the holiday season.

The Dream Factory has been trying to reach out to Springsteen, but unfortunately, has not been able to get a response. Meanwhile, The Dream Factory has provided Chris with a laptop, software, and a desk for the visually impaired.

If Chris ever gets to meet Springsteen his first question to him would be “Do you have a dog?”

Sarah’s Dream

Sarah, a seventeen- year -old from Manalapan, was diagnosed with her illness/disability when she was only an infant. Because of this, her childhood was not easy. It was filled with doctor’s appointments and medication, but there was one thing that got her to where she is today – Music.

Sarah has a passion for music. She always wanted to have her own collection of musical instruments that she could play in her spare time. Sarah’s dream was for The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore to provide her with musical instruments that she could take to college with her when she left.

The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore brought Sarah to a music store where she was able to pick out an oboe and a flute. This was not the end though.

The Dream Factory of The Jersey Shore thrives on going above and beyond and so they also provided Sarah with a limo that brought her, her sister, and her friends to see Wicked on Broadway. The limo picked the girls up, brought them to New York City to see the play and they also were provided with dinner in the city.

Sarah is currently a senior at Kutztown University where she is majoring in Special Education. Sarah also got involved in the orchestra and is now playing the oboe.