When Layton Williamson was only 2, his family got a heartbreaking diagnosis. Layton had kidney cancer. For the small boy, it meant going into the hospital and suffering through things no little kid should have to. One of his kidneys had to be removed. But the cancer was relentless. It metastasized, heading up toward his lung. But Layton was tough. Through surgery and radiation, he beat it. When the Make-A-Wish foundation heard, they wanted to make whatever dream he had come true.
If you can’t go to Disneyland, go RVing
Layton’s wish was to go to Disneyland. But to add insult to injury, by the time Layton was strong enough to head to the Mouse Kingdom, COVID beat him there, and Disneyland was off the books. What other kind of wish might a young, tough boy have? To go places with his family where they could hike, explore, and go camping. Make-A-Wish and Camping World ganged up on the revised dream, and soon there was a travel trailer parked in front of Layton’s Colorado Springs, Colorado, home.
Speaking to local media station KDVR, Layton’s dad, Dylan Williamson, recalls the reaction. “Layton, he was so excited that he’d gotten the camper from Make-A-Wish, he wanted to sleep in it that night,” Dylan said. What followed was what must have been an unforgettable number of excursions for the Williamson family. Over two years, Layton and his family have explored Colorado. And next on the docket? A trip to Nebraska.
Vanishing Make-A-Wish dream machine
You can guess the rest. Some desperado stole Layton’s dream machine. The RV, which had been parked at the home of relatives not far away, vanished sometime between the first and second day of May. At the time of the interview, Layton’s father hasn’t developed the heart to tell Layton about the theft. Still, Dad bears no malice. “I want to drive home that we should forgive the people that did it, no matter what their motive was, no matter how it turns out,” Dylan told reporters.
Layton’s family now has a new wish. They’re wishing hard that the travel trailer will be found, and they can get on with their plans. The gray and white Coleman Lantern LT17B bore license plate number CJNE60, and had two stickers around the tail lights. If you know something that can help, make Layton’s day. Call the Stetson Hills Division Neighborhood Watch at 719-444-3168, the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 719-634-7867, or Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000.
UPDATE: Just before our weekend press deadline, we received a report that Colorado Spring’s Police Department had recovered the trailer. According to Tiffany Williamson, the tires had been slashed but nothing appeared to have been stolen when the camper was broken into.
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This is just a sweet story with a happy ending. Why turn it into a political rant? This family has been through hell and have found healing and joy in RVing. Thank you for sharing and thank you to all the good people of the USA who helped make a family whole again
Was it though? A sick child whose wish is negated by a criminal does not smell of sweetness to me. When crime touches anyone it is awful, but when it touches a sick child, it is tragically amplified in it’s impact on all of us. Turning a blind eye does not help the next child impacted by crime and there will be a next and a next and a next. Young Layton’s story is not the last of it.
I’m curious, Didn’t they have insurance on it? If they did it wouldn’t be a devastating end to camping. The insurance on my trailer is not expensive.
I wondered the same.
So happy to hear their camping days are not over! Thanks for providing the update!
It’s a sad world we live in todays society, where ignorance of the law and downright uncaring folks just think of themselves no matter who it might effect on the other end. Our world has forgotten it’s morals and thinking of others when engaging in criminal behavior.
When crime goes unpunished, you get more crime. NYC, Seattle, Portland, San Fran. , Philly, Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Houston, Austin just to name a few. I wonder what they all have in common? Oh yeah, radical DAs and Dem Mayor’s.
If consequences for crime are minimal, you get more crime. If you let a society fall into despair and homelessness and then refer to it as alternative housing choices, society falls fast.
Decriminalization of heroin, leads to more addicts committing crimes.
The solution is easy, lock up the criminals. It will take a spine and some time from the elected leaders so don’t count on it unless you elect tough on crime leaders. Your choice tho, elections have consequences and in the cities listed above, the citizens must be happy with high crime or they would change how they vote and for whom they vote.