The last thing any parent on the planet wants to face is the passing of a child, especially when they’re young. There’s a good chance that at some point in life you’ve heard an adult say that instead of parents burying their kids, it should be the other way around. And they’re 100 percent so right.
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Although many fantastic organizations help seriously ill children, the Make a Wish Foundation is in a league of its own. Founded in the US, this not-for-profit works to fulfill the wishes of critically ill kids that range in age from two and a half to 18 years. For David and Jen Kolb, this organization coordinated a trip to Disney World for their daughter Rachel in 2015.
Returning to honor their late daughter
Sadly, the couple’s little girl Rachel passed away.
In 2019 on the anniversary date of Rachel’s Make-A-Wish trip, the grieving parents decided to go back to Disney Word. But never in their wildest dreams could they have known that a simple gesture they made would have such a huge impact on another family. The Kolbs were also in for a big surprise too.
In a hurry
The story begins when Belle Geiselman went to Disney World with her parents and siblings at the same time the Kolbs visited. As a precious four-year-old, she was beyond excited. Going with her dad to toss out some trash, this little girl wasn’t paying attention and almost to bumped into none other than David Kolb.
A miraculous encounter
Even at her young age, Belle felt bad and apologized. But standing there with her dad, David asked her what seemed like an odd question. He wanted to know if you could give the girl a gold Mickey Mouse ring.
More than a sweet gesture
Initially confused, David explained that on their daughter’s Make-A-Wish trip four years prior, her mother, Jen, had purchased two matching rings. One was for Rachel and the other for another little girl that reminded them of her. Jen wanted to give the ring as a gift whenever the opportunity arose.
That was the day
It just so happened that Belle did remind them of Rachel. So, when she almost bumped into David Kolb, that’s when Jen knew she had the opportunity she’d been waiting for. Belle was over the moon.
**Edited to add, feel free to share this post. My family is hoping to connect with the couple in the story below**
We…
Posted by Kara Geiselman on Monday, November 11, 2019
The story goes much deeper
At that moment, Kara Geiselman couldn’t move. As Belle’s mom, she couldn’t imagine losing her daughter at such a young age. But she almost did.
Posted by Kara Geiselman on Wednesday, January 21, 2015
A major milestone
Belle, born as an identical twin, struggled for the first 18 months of her life. During that time, she had a feeding tube. As Kara explained, Belle had finally overcome enough of her issues that she didn’t need the feeding tube anymore, so, going to Disney World was a celebratory trip.
Posted by Kara Geiselman on Sunday, April 21, 2019
Moved by emotion
The Kol’s had no idea that the little girl they gave Belle’s matching ring to had also been through a serious health crisis. But everything happened so quickly that the Geiselmans didn’t have time to share their story. What the Kolbs did was very emotional for everyone.
A gift forever treasured
Back home, Jen posted shared the story on her Facebook page. As part of that, she stated that the gold Mickey Mouse ring was something their entire family would cherish forever. It’s also something that’ll give Belle inspiration as she grows older.
The Geiselman family eventually had a chance to reunite with the Kolbs. They had a lot to talk about and will likely become lifelong friends. And it’s all because of a girl named Rachel who was taken far too young.
Click on the video below to see their heartfelt reunion for yourself!
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Source: Today, Kara Geiselman, Good Morning America
