COLUMBUS, Ohio — Working on their arts and crafts, Courtney Dobson and her twin daughters, Brianna and Cecelia, are happy to be attending the annual Holiday Adventure with the non-profit A Kid Again because it gives them an opportunity to feel included in the Christmas fun. 

“This is our third holiday event, and they have come to expect it every year," Courtney said. "We make great friends here and have a great time."

Because the kids have sickle cell disease, she said, they can't do a lot of activities outside when it's cold.

“So some of the winter fun stuff, we we don't get to do without A Kid Again,” she said.

Courtney and her husband, Brandon, have been bringing their children to the event for the last three years and don’t plan on stopping any time soon. 

“To see other kids out here that have similar type of disease or they're a little different to me, you know, it makes them feel good," Brandon said. "And also, they also want to make friends with everybody."

Executive director of A Kid Again Brianne McFarland is passionate about events like this because she too was a mother of a sick child and knows how important it is to make positive memories as a family outside the hospital.

“A lot of our families are in testing and having challenges on a regular basis," she said. "You know, the stress of medical bills, and this is just an opportunity for them to go have a little fun and take a break."

According to McFarland, more than 800 families attended the event Saturday and more than 200 volunteers helped. It’s a massive project that families like the Dobsons are really grateful for. 

“The past year was a really hard one for us," Courtney said. "We had a lot of hospitalizations, and a lot of our time was spent at the hospital, which is amazing and great, and they're wonderful people. But, you know, it's hard to do stuff as a family if you're always in hospital because, you know, you don't want all of your kids memories to be, 'oh, we were together sick.' So that's why I think this means so much for us."