Ironton resident Kati Scott can name several reasons she is excited about her upcoming trip to Walt Disney World.

At the top of that list is the chance to meet her favorite Disney character Minnie Mouse. Goofy isn’t that far behind, though, she said.

The Make-a-Wish Foundation is sending Kati and her family to the Magical Kingdom Monday as part of its program that grants wishes to children with life-threatening diseases.

The 3-year-old daughter of J.D. and Cindy Scott was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was just 7 months old. Since then, the tumor has gone through many stages — it has grown, remained stable and then grown again.

Currently, the tumor’s growth has stopped. Unfortunately, according to her parents, the tumor has never shrunk.

She is going through chemotherapy every other week at Cabell Huntington Hospital.

The youngster has had several rounds of treatments, but the tumor remains — as the youngster can explain — “a butterfly on the top of her head.”

Her mother said the tumor does spread over the top of her skull and covers nearly every part of the empty spaces around her brain.

Cindy Scott, a librarian with the New Boston School District, said her daughter may have cancer, but she has come farther developmentally than some of her doctors had ever expected. She is out-going, talkative and can tell you most everything you need to know about her disease. Pretty impressive for a child that was given only a few years to live at the time she was diagnosed.

Kati’s parents said they hope their Make-a-Wish trip celebrates how far Kati has come the past few years. They were going to wait to take their vacation until she was older, but with the growth of her brain tumor being so unpredictable, they decided to go now.

“She may not be here in two years,” Cindy Scott said, tears forming in her eyes. “She should be, but like everyone else, we don’t know what the future will be.”

J.D. Scott, a Hospice nurse, said the family is very excited about the weeklong vacation. They will be staying the Give Kids the World Villas, a place that caters specifically to Make-a-Wish kids.

The family continues to stay positive about the disease, but admits that the journey has been a trying one for everyone. Their family and friends at Campbell Chapel Freewill Baptist Church have helped them every step along the way, they said.

“We were both Christians before this, but this really has strengthened our faith,” J.D. Scott said.