MBJH helps provide Magic Moment to 7-year-old Emily Chumley

Altoona resident Emily Chumley, who was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancer that typically develops in the muscles, turned 7 on April 27.

To celebrate, her family told her they were going to do a scavenger hunt in Mountain Brook; what they didn't tell her was that the final surprise was a gym filled with Mountain Brook Junior High students and a trip to Disney World.

Put together in part by the Magic Moments Club at MBJH, they raised enough money to send Emily Chumley and her family to Disney, as the Magic Moments organization has done with hundreds of other chronically ill and life-threatening diseases, said Sandy Naramore with Magic Moments.

"We just want them to forget about their illness and have an everyday, regular life," said Naramore. Each vacation typically costs about $4,500, and the organization continues to work with the families each year by inviting them to a family weekend at Children's Harbor. 

Naramore said MBJH Magic Moments first worked together for Sid Ortis's family. "From that point on, they were like, 'We want to keep doing this,'" said Anna Martin with Magic Moments.

Emily traveled through different classrooms in the school, meeting Disney characters and princesses and finding additional clues that ultimately led her to the gymnasium. There, students in seventh, eighth and ninth grade sat waiting to congratulate her.

Under the direction of Salter Hydinger, with the MBJH Magic Moments Club, students shouted "You are going to Disney World!" as classmates, some dressed as Disney princesses, unrolled giant banners that read the same.

"I told everybody at home, 'Expect her to scream,'" said mom Sharon Chumley. While Emily Chumley didn't scream, the smile on her face said it all.

"I was really surprised," Emily Chumley said. Her family had known about their trip to Disney World for a few months now but kept it a secret from her to heighten the surprise. Although the scavenger hunt was planned for April 27, Sharon Chumley said that it just happened to be on Emily's birthday, which made the surprise even better. 

"It was hard [to keep the secret]," said Emily Chumley's dad, Bill. "She asked about it [the trip], but we had to tough it out." 

All through Emily Chumley's treatments, her dad said that she has been "a trooper" and has not complained once.

"I guess I'm the one who did the crying about when she lost her hair," he said. "And she said, 'Daddy, it's OK. It'll grow back.'"

While in Disney, she is looking forward to meeting Moana, who is her favorite Disney character. "I'm going to tell her, 'I watched your movie 50 times,'" Emily Chumley said.

After the surprise, MBJH Magic Moments brought out cupcakes and sang "Happy Birthday" to celebrate. "It just made it all worth it," Hydinger said. "That one smile, it was truly priceless."

"It was awesome to get to see her face," agreed Sharon Chumley.

"I'm just so appreciative [of everyone]," said Bill Chumley. "That's all kindness and caring to me."