Medically fragile children experience Disney magic
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Cheered on by volunteers and escorted by police cars and ambulances, four buses carrying 64 medically fragile children pulled out of Dolphin Mall one recent morning bound for Walt Disney World. For many of the families on board, the trip once felt impossible.
The send-off marked the eighth annual Disney on Wheels, the signature program of the Li’l Abner Foundation and the largest trip in the event’s history. Children from low-income families across Miami-Dade and Broward counties who require intensive medical care spent the weekend at Walt Disney World. For many of them, this was a trip their families would not be able to safely take on their own.
Many of the children who boarded the buses arrived in wheelchairs. Some traveled with feeding tubes, ventilators, or IV lines. Their parents, who spend much of their time navigating hospitals and specialist appointments, joined the trip along with a large team of volunteers and medical professionals.
In total, 266 people made the journey, including 135 volunteers and staff, as well as a dedicated medical team of three physicians, five nurses, and 11 paramedics traveling with the group to ensure the children remain safe throughout the weekend.
“When you see the joy on their faces when they arrive at Disney, it changes you,” said Raul F. Rodriguez, founder of the Li’l Abner Foundation. “Many of these children would never have the chance to go. Making that dream possible is worth every bit of effort.”
The trip is funded entirely through private donations, allowing families to participate at no cost. Sponsors who helped make the weekend possible include Mercy Hospital Medical Staff Charity, First Florida Contractors, L&R Structural Corp, Insurance Nation, Breakwater Hospitality Group, and nearly 40 additional companies and individual donors.
Rodriguez, a Sweetwater native, launched Disney on Wheels after years of transporting medically fragile children to Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care centers. During those trips he learned that many of the children dreamed of visiting Disney World, but their families could not safely manage the travel on their own.
What began in 2017 with just 16 children has grown every year, culminating this weekend with the program’s largest group ever – 64 children and their families traveling together to Walt Disney World.
The children spent two nights at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and visited Walt Disney World before returning to South Florida on Sunday.
Founded in 2009, the Li’l Abner Foundation serves thousands of low-income families in Miami-Dade County and beyond through after-school programs. With locations in Sweetwater and Palmetto Bay, the foundation offers tutoring, SAT prep, dance, archery, Taekwondo, and other activities that build discipline, teamwork, and confidence. These experiences help students discover their strengths and develop habits that support them throughout life.
Founded by Sweetwater entrepreneur Raul F. Rodriguez, the Foundation also offers scholarships that help students attend Belen Jesuit Preparatory School from sixth through 12th grade, as well as scholarships for adults to attend Florida International University for up to five years and earn a degree. The goal is simple: to improve the lives of residents across the community.
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