After hearing my rant about MAW, Disney Cruise, and a guinea pig, some friends of mine up in the Bay Area, started a fund-raiser for Lauren to send her on a Disney Cruise. So last month, my childhood friends Kevin and Greg, Kev's wife Kelly, and Kev's ex-wife Jolie, had a bowling match, Kev/Greg vs. Kelly/Jolie, to raise money for Lauren. I'm not sure what the final score was, all I know is the boys won and I won a Starbucks coffee.

So..., last week a FedEx packaged arrived. Inside was a framed picture of a beautiful tiara made up of all the names of the people that donated. Kev, Kelly, Greg and Jolie raised more than enough to send a family of 5 on a Disney Cruise.

I don't have the words to express the emotions that we felt when we opened the package. I felt a rush of gratitude, happiness, and awe, but I also felt guilt, embarrassment, and sadness. I feel guilty for accepting this money and spending it on such a frivolous endeavor, such as a Cruise, especially during this tough economic times, when so many people are unemployed. And I feel both embarrassed and sad, that my child, due to sickness, is the focal point of so many generous and thoughtful people. How I wish she could be healthy and be mad at me for being to cheap to take her on a Disney Cruise. We are so appreciative to everyone who cares about Lauren and that have been touched by her story. I wish there was a way to show everybody what a special, good and kind person she is. I want to thank everybody for making the life of a 5-year old child, who has had some tough breaks, feel very special. When I explained to Lauren all these people donated money so that she can go on a Disney Cruise, that they did it for her, her eyes welled up. Then I thought, maybe I should have explained the way I did. But oh well, it was to late.

I would like to give a special thanks to Kevin & Kelly Murata, Greg Mori, and Jolie Trode who came up with the idea and Bruce Nomura who make the awesome picture, and of course everyone, family, friends and friends of friends for everything. Especially for giving Lauren an experience she'll cherish forever.

We are planning to go on a Disney Cruise next year, May 2010. It's too late for this year. Hurricane season starts in the summer.