By: Jennifer English

Hiya pals!

We are the English family, and we started our journey with Rett Syndrome three years ago this month. Our youngest daughter Charlie was diagnosed in September 2018, after almost a year of searching for answers. The diagnosis came with feelings of both relief and sadness, but we did not let that stop us from living our best life with Charlie. This includes taking her to her favorite place, the “Happiest Place on Earth,” Walt Disney World. She absolutely LOVES Disney, and her eyes light up whenever we visit. She loves meeting princesses, and is a daredevil who loves fun rides.

I first found out about Girl Power 2 Cure and their work to help find a cure when I ran my first Disney Princess Half Marathon in 2019. It was fate, I tell you! This Disney loving momma wanted to run her first ever half marathon, honoring Charlie, at Disney. When I found the GP2C booth at the expo, I ugly cried tears of JOY! I had found my ultimate tribe who hugged me and loved on me as if they had known me forever. I was floored. Ever since then I have been running at Princess Marathon Weekend with Team GP2C to help raise awareness and funding for a cure.

But we wanted to do more! We wanted to help families see the joy in their kids’ eyes, like we did in Charlie’s, when she visits her favorite place. When the opportunity came about for us to purchase a place in Orlando, we LEAPED at the chance. We jumped in headfirst and bought a fully-accessible townhouse just minutes from the parks. We named it “Charlie’s Clubhouse,” a nod to the O.G. Mickey Mouse and, of course, our Charlie.

We want to give other Rett families the chance to enjoy a Disney vacation without the big question mark of accessibility AND also without the big price tag. That is why we have chosen to use some of the proceeds to help offset the cost for our Rett families and GIVE WEEKS AWAY! That’s right! If you choose to stay with us, you are helping other Rett families be able to enjoy an accessible vacation in Orlando; something they might not be able to do otherwise.

For more information, contact Jennifer English at jlaurenenglish@gmail.com or visit https://www.floridaspiritvacationhome.com/vacation-rentals/charlies-clubhouse to book!

See ya real soon!