Friend raises money to surprise 9-year-old cancer patient

HOUSTON – "Since I didn't get to spend Disney with you, I thought that maybe we could spend Disney right now," 9-year-old Jolie Bolton said to her best friend, Chelsea.

It was an overwhelming but sweet surprise for the little 9-year-old girl. Chelsea Everett stood outside her door, speechless and a little shy.

"I thought it might be Jolie, then I looked out and was, like, wow. I was very surprised," Everett said.

The mission was covert and very well-executed. Friends met around the corner.

"Does anybody have any questions about what they're doing?" Jolie's mom, Sandy, asked the group.

Then they scurried over to Chelsea's house.

While she was busy inside, they blew the gift up and Santa Mickey came alive. Then, to draw Chelsea out, they sang. At first, Chelsea had to be coaxed out by family, but later, she warmed up.

"I was very surprised and excited," Chelsea said.

The 9-year-old girl had been diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer, stage 4, in July.

The surprise started when her best friend, Jolie, hadn't able to join her on a Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World. So Jolie took the money she had saved and created her own trip to Disney.

"That we could celebrate Christmas, but also be, like, kind of at Disney World," Jolie said.

Chelsea's mother said the surprise and the support are a beautiful gift after what's been a very hard few months.

"It's telling us, 'Hey you know what? Keep doing what you're doing. Because you have all of this behind you to keep you going.' And it helps," Michelle Everette said.

Chelsea says now every time she looks at Mickey in her front yard, she'll think of her best friend.

The family will be holding a fundraiser for Chelsea on Jan. 8. Click on this link to find out more.

If you would like to donate, this GoFundMe page has been created.