Decatur boy has Make-A-Wish Disney World trip come true

From the rear window of their limousine, Remington Anderson (center) and one of his sisters wave to the many fire fighters lining Main Street in Decatur April 20 as their mother Tina takes a video of the event.
From the rear window of their limousine, Remington Anderson (center) and one of his sisters wave to the many fire fighters lining Main Street in Decatur April 20 as their mother Tina takes a video of the event.

— Since its conception in 1955, children from around the world have dreamed of going to one of the most iconic theme parks in the world, a magical place called Disneyland. Riding on the success of Disneyland, Walt Disney decided to open an even bigger theme park near Orlando, Fla., and on Oct. 1, 1971, Walt Disney World was opened. And, for one Decatur child and his family, the dream of seeing Disney World became a reality on April 20.

From Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, young Remington Anderson (3), his father Eric, mother Tina, and four brothers and sisters set out on a journey to meet Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck in person. This journey was made possible through the efforts of students, faculty and staff of Mary Mae Jones Elementary in Bentonville and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

For Remington, this journey offers a positive experience for a little boy who has spent much of his three years in the hospital.

July 9, 2014, was a day that changed the Anderson family forever. Tina went to check on Remington and found that he showed no signs of movement on his right side. He was rushed to the emergency room where doctors performed several tests in an effort to diagnose his mysterious illness. A few days later, Remington and Tina were flown to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock with Remington bleeding from the brain.

After a battery of tests, including an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), on July 31, 2014, the Andersons received news all parents dread. Remington was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

A biopsy to take a tissue sample was performed and sent to John Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, Md., for analysis. They found that little Remington had Stage 3 anaplastic astrocytoma, a tumorous cancer usually found only in adults.

In November of 2014, Remington was moved to St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., to begin a long barrage of treatments, including four different types of chemotherapy. The mass was removed three times and the Andersons saw little Remington getting better, but each time the tumor returned. Soon the family was told that there was nothing further that could be done.

One of the things Remington always wanted to do was to see Mickey Mouse in person and, thanks to a group of students, he would see his dream come true. Students at Mary Mae Jones Elementary were trying to find a way to help other children in need when one of them had a brilliant idea.

"Let's make a child's dream come true," said the student.

Through Make-A-Wish Foundations, the students chose Remington and decided to fulfill his dream. The entire school worked for several months on various fundraisers and, with private donations, raised enough money to send Remington and his family to Disney World in Florida.

The entire school and a host of honored guests gathered April 19 in the outdoor theater for what they called "The Reveal," a program to honor Remington and let him know that he would indeed see Mickey Mouse in person.

Members of the Bentonville High School cheerleaders, drum line, pom-pom squad and the Bentonville Fire Department joined the festivities. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Remington, along with one of his brothers hopped into a peddle fire truck and began a short trip to a reception in the school library.

Eric Anderson, Remington's father, is a firefighter for Decatur Volunteer Fire Department and Springdale Fire Department's Station 6. This fueled Remington's love of fire trucks of all kinds, and this love set the scene for an event in Decatur the following day.

The morning of April 20 began as it did everyday in downtown Decatur. But on the hill near Decatur City Hall and Station 1, an unusual gathering was taking place. Decatur Fire Chief Jeremy Luker and his department had assembled fire trucks and police vehicles from all over northwest Arkansas to give the Andersons a send off they will never forget.

In addition to Decatur, units from Centerton, Gravette, Lowell, Tontitown, Springdale, Gentry, Highfill, Sulphur Springs, Siloam Springs, along with several area police departments and Benton County, all lined both sides of Main Street waiting for the Andersons to pass by.

As firefighters stood in front of their vehicles, heavy rain began to fall and sent everybody scrambling for cover. Then, as the Anderson's limousine was about to cross the KCS overpass at the junction of Highways 59 and 102, a miracle from above occurred. The heavy rain suddenly stopped, allowing the firefighters, police and assembled guests the chance to stand by their units in honor of this brave little boy and his family.

The Andersons are now in Orlando enjoying the sights and sounds of Disney World and the things Orlando has to offer. They will return to Decatur sometime around May 1.

More Photos

General News on 04/26/2017