Give Kids The World Village is now able to provide more free dream vacations to kids battling life-threatening diseases, with the help of a new expansion.

  • Give Kids the World opening expansion in Kissimmee
  • Allows more families, sick children to take vacations
  • Give Kids the World welcomes 150,000 family Tuesday

The stars on the wall of the Give Kids The World castle are probably too many to count. There’s so many stars in fact, they’re running out of space.

Each star represents a child with a life threatening disease that has spent time there.

Seven-year-old Johanna is spending the week with her 2-year-old sister and parents at the village. She was recently diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy, a rare and incurable disease. Johanna’s genetic illness makes it difficult to walk and decreases her mental functions.

“I was happy, happy to be here,” Johanna said.

“You learn to get on with life and you don't take things for granted," said her father, Jake Stroup. "It almost changes your whole demeanor in life.”

Because of the high demand at this nonprofit resort, several hundred families are housed off-property. But that will all soon change due to a recent expansion.

Give Kids The World has 144 existing units but with the new Banyan Park opening, it's getting 24 new villas, meaning an additional 1,300 families can stay over.

“Resorts, they try to create that perfect guest experience because they want their guests to keep coming back. We do that because our guests can’t come back,” said Pam Landwirth, the president and CEO of Give Kids The World. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for our families, so we have one chance to get it right.”

And for those writing their names in stars on the castle wall like Johanna, her mom Kristina Stroup says she knows the thousands of other stars above will watch over them throughout their journey.

“The more families that can experience what we did, I think it can change the world, I really do,” Kristina Stroup said.

Give Kids The World will welcome its 150,000th family Tuesday. And this year the charity is celebrating 30 years of what they call happiness and hope.