Cypress girl gets her wish to visit Disneyland

Like her favorite Disney princess - Elsa from the movie "Frozen" - Cypress native Emileigh Marsh is a little different from her peers.

Born prematurely and diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Emileigh was confined to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital for the first three months of her life. Today, the7-year-old suffers from congenital spastic diplegia (a form of cerebral palsy) and experiences extreme stiffness in her joints. To get around, she uses an ankle-foot orthosis for everyday mobility and a wheelchair for longer distances. She is prone to acute seizures, asthma attacks and memory loss as well, and has Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and periventricular nodular heterotopia (a neural migration disorder), according to her mother.

"It can be very challenging to manage her behavior and anxiety," says Kelly Marsh.

Despite Emileigh's life-threatening illnesses, the pint-size redhead shares another trait with Elsa and the animated heroine's fiery younger sister, Anna: an insatiable thirst for adventure.

With both adventure and princesses in mind, her parents contacted the Kids Wish Network (KWN) last fall in hopes of making their daughter's wildest dream come true: to visit the Disneyland Resort in California.

"We receive referrals from affiliate programs, and the parents and friends of sick children," says KWN's Sarah DuPree of the application process. "Once they're referred, we send applications to the prospective family and verify the child's condition with their doctor. There's a place on the application where the child can list their top three wishes. Lastly, a wish coordinator conducts a thorough interview with the child and parents."

The Florida-based charity organization grants approximately 200 wishes per year across the country, many of which involve celebrities.

"Justin Timberlake just granted a wish from a teen in Louisiana who had a heart transplant," DuPree says. "Jason Aldean recently met with one of our kids from Georgia."

Marsh, however, was more concerned with the fictional royal heiresses who sing "For the First in Forever" and "Let It Go."

In July, her wish was granted, and she was off to Anaheim, Calif., with her parents. The family stayed at the Ayres Hotel and spent two full days at Disneyland.

"We sat on a bench and saw a bunch of snow," says Kelly Marsh. "Emileigh wandered off and came back screaming, 'I found them!' She was so happy to see Anna and Elsa - we'd been looking for them all day."

In addition to meeting her all of her favorite characters - she's a big fan of Peter Pan's Tinkerbell, too - Emileigh adored the water rides, nightly fireworks and the "Tangled" Fantasy Faire show.

On the third day of their trip, the threesome drove out to Long Beach and took a water taxi up and down the coast. Emileigh helped steer the boat - which was no problem for her, as she is a certified sailor in the Sailing Angels Foundation in Houston, a young captain's club for children with special needs.

"There are so many things that other kids get to do, but Emileigh can't," says her father, Bobby Marsh. "But this trip was something special that she can do."

Although her thrilling jaunt to Disneyland has come and gone, the spunky youngster has plenty to look forward to at home. For starters, as part of her treatment she has been riding horses at the SIRE, a therapeutic equestrian center in Hockley.

"Emileigh is an animal lover," says her mother. "Riding has helped to improve her flexibility, balance and coordination. It makes her feel more relaxed."

Emileigh also is responsible for various chores around the facility's barn including grooming, feeding and turning out the horses.

"I'll get to participate in the Top Hands Show at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Special Olympics this year," says Emileigh.

In the meantime, Emileigh attends Lamkin Elementary. Her favorite subjects are science, math, reading and writing. And she has a brand new Labradoodle puppy to take care of; her second wish - to obtain a service dog - recently came true, too.