Madie's Castle Wish Comes True

<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(68, 78, 92); font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><div class="breadcrumbs" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://www.visbeen.biz/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Visbeen Associates</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">' tag line for the past few years has been "let us turn your dreams into your reality..." but nothing is quite as rewarding as being able to turn the dreams for a play castle into reality for a 10-year-old leukemia survivor. David Lorenz, Visbeen Associates' senior designer, headed up the design of Madie Flores' dream castle as a part of her wish granted by the <a href="http://www.wishmich.org/">Make-A-Wish Foundation</a>. Lorenz had the opportunity to meet with Madie personally for a design session to brainstorm ideas. After drawing out detailed plans for the elaborate play house, Lorenz enlisted the help of friend and handyman, Aaron Edwards, to construct it. Edwards built the play house in pieces at his home in Grand Rapids and reassembled it with the help of dozens of volunteers in Flores' backyard in St. Joseph last week. Now Madie can enjoy a fairytale ending to the summer in her castle play house fit for a king.</span></span></div></span><div><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIxmXqkDswUdD414Sn_uAOZuU1nncoN0jCjbvoh5anG8LzNX57fRSIep19HSaFT2PJcQhCGnXRRA5VGEzXh_HAxCMWlNllQ4T7T52KZdQdpzoJqu4gCbBUalyRXm1wsQHCZy8Cxwh8QXp/s1600/1-A1.1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639644433906718434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIxmXqkDswUdD414Sn_uAOZuU1nncoN0jCjbvoh5anG8LzNX57fRSIep19HSaFT2PJcQhCGnXRRA5VGEzXh_HAxCMWlNllQ4T7T52KZdQdpzoJqu4gCbBUalyRXm1wsQHCZy8Cxwh8QXp/s320/1-A1.1.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>VAI Working drawings for the castle design</i></div></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i><br /><br /></i></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73AkdUvGGO3Ro1o3bMM1Pbfz78uRFYzqsTLVGJgTd9GXuwJiHjg5vAWQFdIpFEHNHD3Wyg267DGEUPSjwdkIYS3x2dTkKp4TxA_l_C9nrSmbCHL9kVryOMh7Zg5WwhAN1LmlDnueUdrdL/s1600/2-Castle%252C+Madie+top+of+Castle.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639644429921897490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73AkdUvGGO3Ro1o3bMM1Pbfz78uRFYzqsTLVGJgTd9GXuwJiHjg5vAWQFdIpFEHNHD3Wyg267DGEUPSjwdkIYS3x2dTkKp4TxA_l_C9nrSmbCHL9kVryOMh7Zg5WwhAN1LmlDnueUdrdL/s320/2-Castle%252C+Madie+top+of+Castle.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Madie celebrating the completion of her castle play house!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /><br /></i></div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlr1lYsy97ukEnIawnjG6syASUKdyYNMkXaqHL1RnGOc_VQUyeckVo7og_yIOiT9tzlbcPeb1NTVlfaEIjfK8v-ZE8S5jDCHl6Ju6dXh927XoLN7YtkCYvh7AcxdszIz5RPxSHqI9YahWi/s1600/3-Castle%252C+Madie+in+window.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639643359031431570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlr1lYsy97ukEnIawnjG6syASUKdyYNMkXaqHL1RnGOc_VQUyeckVo7og_yIOiT9tzlbcPeb1NTVlfaEIjfK8v-ZE8S5jDCHl6Ju6dXh927XoLN7YtkCYvh7AcxdszIz5RPxSHqI9YahWi/s320/3-Castle%252C+Madie+in+window.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>10-year-0ld Madie Flores</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /><br /></i></div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSc5OZasby_3B-3joo64bGRCWEVSBX48P0gVNS8BuyRM4M-mFKWXQb6Ynv7M3OXLfCZaUuAb0GUQ7gNN9vGTEGrWuvPJqGsK18dLkKIIOhIT5rTWAufDgwLGg21rHmJ_FsHEesZl_VdJt/s1600/4-Castle%252C+distance.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639643353959099378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSc5OZasby_3B-3joo64bGRCWEVSBX48P0gVNS8BuyRM4M-mFKWXQb6Ynv7M3OXLfCZaUuAb0GUQ7gNN9vGTEGrWuvPJqGsK18dLkKIIOhIT5rTWAufDgwLGg21rHmJ_FsHEesZl_VdJt/s320/4-Castle%252C+distance.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Under Construction</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /><br /></i></div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhi7KVcUHriBdslEbzTwTjFFWFCfjsYEltFXEsqkkFMxg-MVS32JQ9Ypt9IqhuHYVC5ifSgGl3W_eVNaAWLJezVFJiXUSutvRzcoJ45GbUUppAY-FmchLtFuRIDbDTC4d71Hx5Lfv98cy/s1600/5-Castle%252C+Erica+and+Meghan.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639643346791481714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhi7KVcUHriBdslEbzTwTjFFWFCfjsYEltFXEsqkkFMxg-MVS32JQ9Ypt9IqhuHYVC5ifSgGl3W_eVNaAWLJezVFJiXUSutvRzcoJ45GbUUppAY-FmchLtFuRIDbDTC4d71Hx5Lfv98cy/s320/5-Castle%252C+Erica+and+Meghan.jpeg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Helpers putting the finishing touches on the play house in Madie's backyard</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /><br /></i></div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4j9du2VvE-oxlZ6-5v45ljPpC2rzKZgwffIb7Go_j8qWGM1lQh_aGkyy3hXRtd3F14Xho_H09hP0C42HNR8IHg1pjsmjGc7dsh9lyvTw2guJ3ileTrOv_8ybYlWIwwDNEkDBlXFiPFtIw/s1600/6-Castle%252C+Harry.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639643341032045938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4j9du2VvE-oxlZ6-5v45ljPpC2rzKZgwffIb7Go_j8qWGM1lQh_aGkyy3hXRtd3F14Xho_H09hP0C42HNR8IHg1pjsmjGc7dsh9lyvTw2guJ3ileTrOv_8ybYlWIwwDNEkDBlXFiPFtIw/s320/6-Castle%252C+Harry.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Harry Miller holding VAI's drawings in front of the under construction play house</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /><br /></i></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;color:#444E5C;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: -webkit-xxx-large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;"><br /><br /></span></span></i></span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(68, 78, 92); font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div class="breadcrumbs" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;color:#444E5C;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">For more information and images of this special project, read press coverage of this story:</span></span></span></div><div class="breadcrumbs" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;color:#444E5C;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://blog.wishmich.org/">Make-A-Wish Foundation Blog</a></span></i></span></span></div><div class="breadcrumbs" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;color:#444E5C;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Grand Rapids Press article:</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><i><a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/08/grand_rapids_builder_is_crafti.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Grand Rapids Builder is Crafting Dream Castle for Young Cancer Survivor </span></a></i></span></span></div><div class="breadcrumbs" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;color:#444E5C;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">WMNU Story: </span><a href="http://www.wndu.com/hometop/headlines/Leukemia_survivor_gets_castle_built_in_her_own_backyard.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Leukemia Survivor Gets Castle Built In Her Own Backyard</span></a></i></span></span></div><div class="breadcrumbs" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><br /></span></span></div></span></div>

Madie's Castle Wish Comes True

Visbeen Associates ' tag line for the past few years has been "let us turn your dreams into your reality..." but nothing is qu...

Read more »