Dream Foundation Disneyland Dream Dashed

The Dream Foundation canceled plans to send an Oregon family to Disneyland when the dreamer Dad died.

Shawn Reese’s widow, who grew up in Oxnard, said she feels frustrated and sad.

Shawn Reese was terminally ill with oral cancer when the Santa Barbara-based Dream Foundation agreed to grant his wish to take his five-year-old son and the rest of his family to Disneyland. The highly-rated charity sent Shawn presents for his children and started working on dates for the flights and a three-night stay with two-day passes to the theme park. The trip would have had a retail value of about $5,000, but the trip was abruptly canceled last month when Reese died.

Cheryl Reese said he died two days before Thanksgiving after they had already told the kids about the trip.

The non-profit’s Executive Director Kisa Heyer said she lost sleep over the cancellation, but she said the charter requires the dream recipient to attend any dream or wish granted. She said donations are made with that in mind.

Heyer said 90 people or 3.6% of the dreamers contacted this past year died before their dreams come true.

This appears to be the first time a survivor has publicly complained and asked to complete the trip.

The family is distraught over losing their father and not being able to visit the happiest place on earth, reaching out to reporters to express their concerns.

The Dream Foundation can’t send them on the trip now, but has agreed to accept donations on the Reese family’s behalf so they can afford to go on their own.

To donate visit, www.dreamfoundation.org