(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Pueblo County High School brought to life the spirit of Mickey Mouse on Wednesday morning. For the past few months, students have been fundraising to help grant the wish of 7-year-old Cash Blanchfield and his dream for a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Amanda Blanchfield, Cash’s mother, recalled the time spent in the hospital waiting for their baby boy to receive a heart transplant.

“He was born with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a large, muscular heart,” Amanda said. “And, you know, a few weeks after he was born, they put him on the heart transplant list and he got a heart 51 days later.”

The Blanchfield family put their life on pause to care for their son and now are hopeful for good health in the future.

 “We’re just hopeful and positive, hoping he doesn’t have heart rejection, Amanda said. “And that’s a high risk forever, but he’s immunosuppressed, so he has a lot higher risks for lots and lots of illnesses. And so the doctors told us to trade a terminal illness for a chronic illness, and that’s what we deal with, but we’ll take it if he’s alive and here.”

Cash spent most of his childhood inside a hospital and now his dream to play outdoors in a themed Mickey Mouse is coming true.

“Cash’s wish is to have the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and so Pueblo County rallied around Cash and kids like Cash this week to make that wish a reality and to provide so much joy, hope and strength for Cash and kids like him all over Colorado,” said Make-A-Wish Colorado Development Coordinator, Tina Stroman.

Students dressed up in Mickey Mouse outfits to perform at the assembly. Courtesy: Mike Duran

Pueblo County’s Wish Week started on March 8 with daily spirit days centered around Cash’s passions including a mini golf spirit day, Disney spirit day, and throwback spirit day.

“So as you can imagine, battling through a critical illness can be really hard,” Stroman said. “And so a wish really provides so much joy, hope and strength for kids as they continue battling through their illness and ultimately creates healing not just for the child but also for the family.”

For senior Matissen Lewin, she had the biggest smile in sharing why the Make-A-Wish event means so much to her.

“It’s the best thing ever,” Lewin said. “I love Make-A-Wish. I love doing it every year, and even if it’s not a future Hornet, it still is the absolute best moments of my life.”

During the assembly, a check was presented to the Blanchfield family for $29,500 that will go toward building the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in their backyard.

The Blanchfield family smiled with a check during the assembly. Courtesy: Mike Duran

“We plan on building a shed in our backyard, and Make-A-Wish is going to turn it into as much of a Mickey Mouse themed Clubhouse as possible,” Amanda said. “He thinks he’s going to get a big yellow shoe garage like the cartoon. So, we’re trying to tell him the inside will be Mickey Mouse themed, but it’s going to be a shed on the outside.”

Students wore Make-A-Wish t-shirts and Mickey Mouse ears during the assembly. Courtesy: Mike Duran

Pueblo County High School bringing a young boy’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse dream to life.

“When you tell him that his which has been granted and to know that all that pain might be taken away just for a few moments every day when he goes out to his backyard and plays and it makes it worthwhile,” said Lewin.

The gymnasium was filled with students to celebrate Cash’s Make-A-Wish. Courtesy: Mike Duran

Cash’s parents, who both graduated from Pueblo County High School, are filled with joy seeing their community rally behind them.

“Just thank you, thank you for making us all feel so special and supported and helping Cash get his wish and helping other kids like him get their wish, too,” said Amanda.