Hayden’s Universal Adventure

Hayden was diagnosed with a rare chromosome disorder called mosaic trisomy 8 and a disorder called agenesis of the corpus callosum, which causes Hayden to struggle with things like remembering to put on shoes and brush his teeth. His dream was to go to the Florida theme parks, especially Sea World and Universal Studios. Hayden LOVES animals and can tell you things you wouldn’t have ever known about all kinds of different species. Thanks to Sunshine Foundation’s wonderful donors, Hayden’s dream came true. It was Hayden’s first time seeing the ocean!

A Word from the Family

“Hayden had so much fun with his family at Universal Studios in Florida. They were able to ride the Hogwarts Express and explore Diagon Alley. They had so much fun exploring Jurassic Park and learning so much more about dinosaurs (Hayden’s favorite subject), even getting to see a baby velociraptor hatch. The day at Sea World was one of the best days Hayden has ever had. Hayden loved the sea world orca show so much, he is still telling stories about the whales. We visited the arcade every night on our resort. We spent 3 days at Universal Studios exploring all the different places from Diagon Alley to Springfield USA where we got pictures with Homer Simpson and Amity Island where we saw Jaws hanging up by the bay. This was really a trip of a lifetime! We had a blast and couldn’t have had this experience without Sunshine Foundation! We cannot say thank you enough to the donors who made all this happen and thank you to Sunshine Foundation. You have really made Hayden’s dream trip come true!”– Hayden’s mom, Kelly

Hayden’s Diagnoses

The National Institute defines Mosaic trisomy 8 as “a chromosomal abnormality that can affect many parts of the body. In individuals with Mosaic trisomy 8, some of the body’s cells have three copies of chromosome 8 (trisomy), while other cells have the usual two copies of this chromosome. The signs and symptoms vary, but may include distinctive facial features; intellectual disability; and joint, kidney, cardiac, and skeletal abnormalities.” Corpus callosum agenesis is a birth defect “in which the structure that connects the two sides of the brain (the corpus callosum) is partially or completely absent.”