April Mouton's Wish Upon A Star

On March 4, 2016, April was married and excited to set out on her new fairytale life. On March 8th, she got a migraine and had no idea that, from that day on, the fairytale was going to be put on hold. By December, just before Christmas, April had become paralyzed and was put on disability. She began the long journey from one doctor to the next, putting her honeymoon indefinitely on hold and instead spending it in the hospital, to try and find out what was happening to her body.

Her bladder stopped working and she needed an emergency surgery and,while she is still waiting for an appointment with a rheumatologist, (her disability insurance does not cover any in her county) her urologist has diagnosed her with SLE Lupus and an ER doctor diagnosed her with Discoid Lupus. In the simplest terms, her body’s immune system is attacking the body is it designed to protect. This once vibrant woman who used to dance professionally has been relegated to often having to be pushed around in a pink wheelchair, which still reflects her fun-loving spirit.




In a few short weeks, April will begin chemotherapy for her Lupus. As we all know, this harsh procedure can cause more damage and be more painful than the illness it is supposed to be treating. In an effort to give April something to look forward to before her treatment, we want to give her the honeymoon she was never able to have. April loves Disneyland and has wished she could go for a very long time. She lives nine hours away, and, with her medical bills and being unable to work, simply cannot afford the trip. We want to help get April and her loving husband Shane go to Disneyland and hope to raise $3000 so that she can spend a wonderful few days-with a magic morning-in the Magic Kingdom and stay at the Disneyland Hotel, which she's never stayed at before. She loves everything Disney, especially Disneyland because of the wonderful atmosphere, the dazzling landscapes, the friendly characters, and-of course-the magnificent rides!

One of the main reasons for wanting to take this trip is that April would like to begin a new chapter in her life. As you can see in some of the pictures, April has lost her beautiful blonde hair and there are many discoid scars and scabs on her head. She would like to take a picture in front of the aforementioned dazzling landscapes, Sleeping Beauty’s castle, to symbolize the opening of a new beginning.

April has spent her entire life helping others. She has taken care of her mother, who has Multiple Sclerosis, and father for many years now. Even having known me for a relatively short time, she has still allowed me to open up to her about my various health issues and stuff that has gone on in my personal life. My kids have only spoken with her briefly, but they frequently talk to me about how great of a person she is. I decided to give back to her, because, if anyone deserves to go on the trip of a lifetime to Disneyland, it’s certainly April Mouton.