SLIPPERY ROCK - Emily Kraus, 8, of Slippery Rock on Monday will spend a week at Disney World in Florida courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Emily has Rett's Syndrome, a developmental disorder that causes girls to lose developmental skills when they are about 1 year old.

Her mother, Mari Kraus, said she wanted her daughter to receive the wish in October to coincide with Rett's Syndrome Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. She wants to bring public attention to the disorder, which is frequently not diagnosed or is often misdiagnosed as autism or other disorders.

Because Emily, who is in a special education program at elementary school in Ellwood City, cannot talk, "it seemed like this is what she would want," said her mother about the Disney World trip.

Rett's Syndrome is not generally fatal, but Emily qualified for the wish because in addition to being unable to walk or talk, she has seizures.

As for what they will do in Disney World, Kraus said, "we're just going to have to go by what we think she wants to do."

She said this trip is more for her other two daughters, who are 5 and 7 years old, so they can have a "nice memory" of spending time with Emily.

Make-A-Wish grants wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses,

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and Southern West Virginia, which is based in Pittsburgh, is the most active chapter in the nation, according to an agency's news release. Last year, it fulfilled 571 wishes, the only chapter to fulfill more than 500 wishes.

Ann Fisher, vice president of communications for Make-A-Wish, said, "We genuinely believe that if we can get into a child's life at a critical moment, we can help the healing process," she said.