UVALDE, Texas — Nearly a year after the Uvalde elementary school shooting, the family of one of the survivors is working to try and create happier moments for some of the students.
On May 24, 2022, 19 children and two teachers were killed and 17 others were injured. Some of those survivors say they want to be far way on the anniversary of the shooting and go to the 'happiest place on Earth.'
Miguel Cerrillo's daughter, Miah, is one of the survivors of the shooting at Robb Elementary School. She survived by covering herself in another student's blood and playing dead. She also made a phone call to 911 trying to get help.
She, along with other survivors, came up with the idea of going to Disneyland. In all, it would be five kids and their parents going. They've set up a GoFundMe account to try to make the dream a reality.
"Last night it was at $8,000 and this morning when I woke up, my wife told me, 'Can you believe it's already up to $12,000?' I said, 'Really? That's amazing!' People are really trying to see our story and understand where we're coming from," Cerrillo said.
Cerrillo said the road to recovery has been difficult and that the kids just want to get away from the pain. And they don't just want to see Disneyland, they want to drive there in RVs and catch the sights along the way.
"What are the kids saying about this, what are they looking forward to?" asked KHOU 11's Ron Treviño
"They keep saying they can't wait to leave Texas and see the view. One of the kids says like, 'I've never been to New Mexico, but I'm ready to see New Mexico, I hear they have aliens,' and I'm like, 'OK, wherever there's aliens I'm gonna see them with you," Cerrillo said.
Whether it's aliens in Area 51 or seeing Mickey Mouse at the happiest place on Earth, the kids say they need to get away, especially on the one-year mark of the shooting.
"Getting their heads out of Uvalde, it's a healing process, it's gonna take one day to the next. It's gonna take years, but I believe a little gesture like this gratitude would help them achieve a little better of therapy," Cerrillo said.
The kind of therapy where a kid can be a kid.
They say they need to raise $50,000 to make this trip possible. The GoFundMe is growing and so are the hopes of some special kids. As of May 4, the fundraiser was less than $10,000 away from reaching its goal.
Watch Ron Treviño's full interview with Miguel Cerrillo below: