Autumn Dahly was granted her Make A Wish wish at age 5.

But between that time and this July when, at age 8, she actually got to use her wish - to go on a Disney cruise - she underwent two leg surgeries. Between the surgeries and the recovery time, it was this summer when she was finally ready to take to the sea and claim her wish.

Autumn has neurofibrometosis; a brain tumor was discovered in her optic nerve when she was 4, eventually costing her the vision in her left eye; that was followed by a year and a half of chemotherapy, said her mother, Pam Dahly of Jamestown. In September, Autumn completed another round of chemotherapy for a second brain tumor, Dahly said.

The family, including parents Pam and Tyrone, and sister, Ashley, 15, moved there from Bismarck in August, just after returning from this trip.

"The people that put this on have bigger hearts than I could ever imagine," said Pam Dahly.

The best thing was the smile on Autumn's face for the whole seven days of the trip, she said. "And just to be able to forget for a while, to let everything go."

The surprises started before the family even got on board the ship, the "Disney Magic," at Port Canaveral, Fla. Bismarck sponsors Ranita Mann and Cheryl Dressler brought Autumn a backpack full of notebooks, crayons, and a camera, along with a cake, and the family got a limousine ride to the airport.

The morning after their arrival in Orlando, they went aboard the ship and spent the next two days at sea, entertained, fed, having their photos taken with their choice of Disney characters, in short, "spoiled rotten," Pam Dahly said.

When the ship arrived two days later at the island of St. Martin, Autumn was whisked by boat to another island, Anguilla, to play with a dolphin.

"She got to kiss a dolphin," Dahly said. "She had a blast doing that. That was very wonderful for her."

The next day, at St. Thomas, the family went aboard a submarine, spent a couple of hours wondering at the undersea sights, coral reefs and beautiful fish.

Finally, the family visited Castaway Cay, a private Disney island, and got to experience a real tropical storm.

"It was an absolute blast," Dahly said.

When they returned to port, the family took a day on their own to visit Universal Studios, where Autumn was surprised once again. With the help of a group called Compassion Partners, the family received VIP passes into the Nickelodeon Studios, and Autumn had the honor of being "slimed" at the Slime Time geyser.

"I can't give Make A Wish enough thanks," Dahly said. "They have much heart, it would be hard to find enough words."

"If people knew the smiles they bring" to wish kids, she said. "I wish they had a movie camera to show every kid who was granted a wish."

Make A Wish is planning a fund-raising event called "Spooktacular Wishes" from 5:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Oct. 25 at the Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck. A social, dinner, live and silent auction and dance are planned. The celebration is Halloween-themed; costumes are optional. Families are welcome. Tickets are $25 per person and are available by calling Gail Heil at 222-8623, Renee or Sharon at Make A Wish at 1-800-362-9474. Additional sponsors and donors of auction items are welcome.