Following their marriage in 2012, Amy Beth Gardner and her husband Paul wanted nothing more than to start a family.
But the couple were dealt some devastating news when they learned they suffered a miscarriage and were later diagnosed with infertility issues.
Wanting nothing more than to be parents, the couple decided they should begin fostering, knowing they had plenty of room in their hearts and lots of love to give.
They began by taking in two girls, sisters, Bridgett and Breonna.
Nonetheless, Breonna, the eldest of the two girls had something to share with Amy, which left the new mum heartbroken.
"We had only been their foster parents for a few months when I had a conversation that sent a chill down my spine. Only nine-years-old, she looked into my eyes and, with sadness breaking through her voice, said 'I don’t think I will ever feel joy'."
"She told me that living with us for the past few months had allowed her to feel safety, security and love but that she couldn’t imagine that she would ever know what it would feel like to experience joy."
"In that moment, watching a child I loved assume that joy was too far gone for her to grasp, I knew exactly what to do."
Amy booked a trip to Disney World, believing that this would be the best way to help her girl experience joy, planning every ride and meal meticulously.
"The Magic Kingdom had the desired effect on my youngest daughter from the time we walked through the front gates. She looked like any other five year old girl experiencing Walt Disney World for the first time."
"But my heart felt a little heavy as I watched our oldest daughter quietly walk down Main Street. I felt disappointed and silently chastised myself for believing that a theme park could be what brought this child the feeling of joy."
Breonna expressed her gratitude for the trip, but she wasn't animated or in any way expressive of her feelings. It took Amy some time to realise what she couldn't see...
"What I didn’t know was that the magic wasn’t unfolding around her – it was unfolding inside of her."
The joy that Breonna felt wasn't on her face, it was in her heart after every theme park ride, every meal, after every chat with a princess, and with each firework that lit up the night sky.
"As I watched her face in the glow of those fireworks I knew that, even if she didn’t know what word to assign to the emotion she was experiencing for the first time, I did."
"After the fireworks ended, we made our way to the parking lot [...] We had been in line for a few minutes when I felt a tug at my shirt and turned to see her quietly crying next to me. I quickly bent down to ask what was wrong only to hear her say words that made my heart soar..."
"I think this is what joy must feel like."
Amy feels that the true magic of Disney World isn't within the park itself, the real magic is what happens inside of you: "The true magic of Disney is what happens inside of you."
"When wonder and hope begin to take root and you start to believe that anything can happen with a little bit of magic."
The mum-of-two who has since adopted her two girls, was reminded of that very day when she returned to Disney World this year with her family - about to experience the sheer joy they felt before.
Never underestimate the power of a little magic mums, it can light up the darkest of days.
