Come Sunday, Elli and Joshua Steckler of Bismarck will be able to ring in the new year in a warmer climate with the help of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Dakota.

Elli, 10, and Joshua, 7, are the children of Beth and Mitch Steckler.

Both live with hereditary pancreatitis, a rare disorder that affects only about 1,000 people in the United States, according to the National Pancreas Foundation.

Symptoms of the disease are chronic, intense abdominal pain that requires frequent hospitalization.

Beth Steckler said in Elli's case, she's not able to eat for days and must take intervenous treatments to relieve the pain and get nutrition.

Usually the hospital stay will last between three and five days, she said.

"But to look at them, you wouldn't know they are sick," she said.

Elli recently returned from the University of Minnesota, where she underwent a delicate transplant procedure.

Steckler said doctors took cells from Elli's pancreas and transplanted them into her liver.

The new cells were then harvested and returned to her ailing pancreas in hopes it would help generate new cell growth and a healthier organ.

There is no known cure for hereditary pancreatitis, and Steckler said the best that doctors can do is try to manage the symptoms.

On Sunday, the family will fly to Florida for 10 days in the sun through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The first stop will be Discovery Cover, where Joshua's wish to swim with bottlenosed dolphins will be granted.

From there, they will visit the coral reef, tropical river and Ray Lagoon, then move on to Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Elli's wish is next, when the family heads off to Walt Disney World, where they will stay at the Give Kids the World Village, a resort designed especially for wish families.

The family will be treated to passes to amusement parks before visiting Sea World and Universal Studios.

Steckler said the kids are looking forward to going to Florida, where their wishes will be granted.

Through the hospital and doctor visits, she said her family has received a lot of help along the way - help from the kids' school friends at Rita Murphy School, the church, McCabe United Methodist - and all their friends and neighbors.

"We're so grateful for everyone here and for those who give to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"They are very excited," she said. "It will be nice for our family to be together."

(Reach reporter Brian Gehring 250-8254 or brian.gehring@;bismarcktribune.com.)