Jarrett Gorman Granted Washington D.C. Trip By Missouri Dream Factory

Members of the Gorman family with Missouri Congressman Blaine Leutkemeyer.
Members of the Gorman family with Missouri Congressman Blaine Leutkemeyer.

It all started when Jarrett Gorman was checking his glucose at a Missouri Dream Factory event for a friend. Gorman was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes) in March 2008. A member of the organization noticed and spoke with the Gorman family about an opportunity for Jarrett to have a "wish."

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...and so does this guy.

"They asked if there was somewhere he would like to go," Alison Gorman, Jarrett's mother said. "He thought it would awesome and said Washington D.C. would be somewhere he would really like to go. So the Central Missouri Dream Factory worked to set it up for us. They grant wishes to critically and chronically ill children."

At first the Gormans were worried because the threat of the government shutting down loomed right before they left April 10. With the government avoiding the shutdown, the Gormans spent April 10-16 in Washington D.C., and toured the Pentagon, Pentagon 9-11 memorial, Arlington Cemetery, Smithsonian Natural History/American History/Holocaust/Air and Space Museums, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, White House, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, National Archives, U.S. Capitol Building and the Washington/World War II/Korean/Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials. Some of the highlights for Jarrett were meeting Missouri Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer and a Secret Service agent who let Jarrett sit on some special furniture at the White House.

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Headline act Rahn Ramey hangs out with Jimmie Roulette during the opening acts.

"This trip meant a lot," Joel Gorman, Jarrett's father, said. "It was not a typical tour, it was actually a congressional tour set up through Luetkemeyer. Jarrett got a private Secret Service tour of the White House as well as private tours of the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol Building. He was granted a lot of things the normal person would not. It means a lot that they took the time and effort to set something up for Jarrett like that."

Alison said Jarrett goes through a lot of the things a normal nine-year old doesn't have to go through. Jarrett said he though it was cool to be able to do the things he was able to on the trip.

"I liked the White House, Pentagon and National Archives," Jarrett said. "I got to meet Luetkemeyer and when we went to the White House there was a Secret Service agent who gave us a tour, let me sit on some of the furniture and at the end of the tour gave me a medal he received for protecting an ambassador. I think it is cool for them to give children a chance they would not normally get to do."

Alison said she appreciates everyone for being nice to them and trying to make it the best trip for him. Jarrett's brother Connor said it was a fun trip and he liked the changing of the guard and standing at the U.S. Capitol. Connor also liked the "Light House" (what he called the Washington Monument). Jarrett said Alison told him to remember as much as he could because while they took plenty of pictures, there were things he would not want to forget.

"Some of the stuff we saw like the Declaration of Independence were in my textbook," Jarrett said, "and I go to see it in person. My teacher asked me to go in front of the class and share about my trip. Everyone thought it was really cool."

The Central Missouri Dream Factory chapter grants wishes to children in the Fulton, Columbia and Jefferson City area. The chapter was formed in 1984 and has granted 425 dreams. The chapter is based out of Columbia. For more information, call 573-817-2768 or check them out on Myspace or Facebook.

"They are top-notch in everything they do," Joel said. Alison added, "Missouri Dream Factory is a great organization to support."