Glendive makes wish come true
By Cindy Mullet
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
     
            Doctors said 3-year-old Taylor Morgeson would not be able to make a trip to Disneyland to meet Dora the Explorer, so local Make-a-Wish Foundation organizers are brining Dora to her with a special Dora the Explorer party at the Yellowstone River Inn, Saturday at 2 p.m.

            The organization contacted Christie and Steve Bury early this week to see if they would be able to organize a Make-a-Wish event for a Glendive child.

            They began making telephone calls and sending e-mails to local resource people and corporations such as Fisher Price and Stuffed Animals.com and by Wednesday afternoon had most of the plans in place.

            A room at Yellowstone River Inn will be decorated with Dora the Explorer toys and other items. A princess theme will also be a part of the afternoon, as Miss Montana’s Outstanding Teen Chantell Bury will visit the party and paint Morgeson’s fingernails, Christie said.

            Morgeson, the daughter of Jennine Liberatore and granddaughter of Theresa Liberatore, turned 3 on Jan. 30. She was diagnosed with adult acute myeloid leukemia in February 2007, her aunt Stephanie “Tennessee” Liner explained.

            She underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments and received a bone marrow transplant from her younger brother in July. About a week ago the family learned she had relapsed. Doctors will not do a second bone marrow transplant until at least a year after the first one.  She was in Billings this week for a blood transfusion and will start three rounds of chemotherapy in an effort to extend her life as long as possible.

“She is a little fighter,” Liner said.

            Morgeson’s energy levels vary from day to day. After a transfusion she is sometimes hyper and energetic but other days all she wants to do is sleep, she added.

            Plans for the party will depend partly on Morgeson’s energy levels, the Burys said. They want to pack as much into the short time as they can but don’t want to tire her out too much.
           
            Response to their requests for Dora the Explorer items and other toys has been great. Local people and businesses have also come together to help make this a wonderful day for her and give the family some great memories.

            “Working toward granting wishes puts a lump in your throat,” Christie said.  “We just try to bring them some joy.”

            “We are the ambassadors of fun,” Steve added.

            Since 1980 the Make-a-Wish Foundation has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. This is the second Make-a-Wish event for Glendive.  In 2006, the Burys helped organize a dinosaur dig for a New York boy.