Michael Caravaglio

DREAM TRIP TO DISNEY WORLD
& GIVE KIDS THE WORLD VILLAGE

Goal: $6,000

Michael’s Story: The Light He Never Let Cancer Dim

When I first spoke with Michael’s mom, Kristen, she told me something I’ll never forget:
“I’m trying to forget some of it… it brought a lot of trauma.”
Then quietly,
“When he was on the ventilator, that was the worst.”

Before cancer, Michael was a joyful, busy 3-year-old who never stopped moving. He loved building things, helping in the kitchen, and comforting other kids. Kristen called him “sunshine in a tiny body.”

Then, in October of 2023, everything changed.

What began as bruising and fatigue became the words no parent should ever hear: B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Kristen remembers the moment vividly:
“One moment he was my playful little boy… the next he was a cancer patient.”
Later that night, when she finally let herself break, she said,
“It felt like someone took our whole world and shattered it.”

From that day on, their lives became a blur of fear, pain, and uncertainty. Talking about numbers hardly does it justice; Michael endured over 100 blood transfusions and more than 20 spinal taps under anesthesia. He was reclassified as high-risk after not clearing MRD, enduring rounds of relentless chemotherapy. At one point, he was on a ventilator for a terrifying week, unable to breathe on his own, while every parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in real time. He went through two cycles of Blinatumomab, countless ER visits, and sleepless nights filled with prayers that he would wake up safe.

Every beep of a monitor, every procedure, every moment of pain brought new fear. And you can’t help but ask:
What did these children ever do to deserve this?
Aren’t they supposed to dance in the rain, chase bubbles, laugh until their belly hurts, not fight for their lives?

And as heartbreaking as their stories are, here we are… sharing with the world their unbreakable journeys, the kind that show how even in the darkest moments, their light never truly dims.

And Michael?
His small victories told the world there was still a child beneath the illness, dancing down a hospital hallway with his IV pole, celebrating the day he finally became MRD-negative. Cancer stole pieces of his childhood. Holidays spent in hospitals. Birthdays are overshadowed by fevers. Playgrounds left empty. Memories put on hold.

Today, Michael is five, in the maintenance phase of treatment, back in school, learning, growing, and dreaming about what he wants to build someday. His imagination is still bright. His heart is gentle. His spark is still his.

Kristen’s hope now is simple and powerful: “I just want a chance for my child to experience a great quality of life.”

For Michael, a Disney Dream Trip is exactly that, a chance to give back the magic cancer tried to steal.
A chance to be carefree.
A chance to feel joy without fear.
A chance to just be a kid.

Michael deserves wonder. He deserves excitement, hope, and moments that make his heart light again.

You can help give him that. Donate to Michael’s campaign today and help bring magic, healing, and joy back into his childhood.

Let’s go get Michael to Mickey!