A Vacation Worth Taking Twice

After a 2023 vacation was cut short by a medical emergency, the Wilt-Helmick family returned to Tennessee with Shadow Jumpers to experience it the way they always hoped.

Click HERE to view this recap in our testimonial section which includes additional media.

Three members of the Wilt-Helmick family live with Erythropoietic Protoporphyria, mom Miranda, daughter Myleigh, and son Connor, each with their own journey navigating life with photosensitivity. Despite the challenges, the family has always found ways to adapt, advocate, and move forward together. Still, the memories from their first Tennessee trip carried weight, especially as the kids continued to talk about wanting to go back and do it the way it was meant to be.

Their long-anticipated 2023 summer vacation quickly turned into a medical emergency. Just days before their trip, Miranda received a ferritin infusion, unaware at the time that for someone living with Erythropoietic Protoporphyria (EPP) excess iron can trigger a severe reaction. What followed was “the most intense and painful episode” she had ever experienced, leaving the family confined indoors for most of their vacation and spending the Fourth of July in the emergency room instead of together under fireworks.

“We tried to make the best of it for the kids, squeezing in a few activities, but most of what we had planned for the week had to be canceled. I still have a lot of guilt because it was my medical crisis that took everyone away from all the fun we had planned as a family.”

That’s when Shadow Jumpers stepped in.

We were thrilled to assist the Wilt-Helmick family in their return to Tennessee, not to erase what happened before, but to rewrite it. From the moment they arrived, the difference was felt. Their cabin was comfortable, welcoming, and intentionally chosen to meet their needs, complete with an indoor pool that became a favorite part of the week.

This time, the family was able to fully experience the activities they had once missed: Wonder Works, Rockin’ Raceway, SkyFly: Soar America, Ripley’s Aquarium, and more.

Some moments were especially emotional. Returning to places like the Titanic Museum brought a sense of closure, while redoing Ripley’s Aquarium, pain-free and without fear, was deeply meaningful.

As Miranda wrote, this redo vacation “let us go back to a place tied to some really hard memories and replace them with ones that felt light, fun, and healing”

The simple moments mattered just as much.

Thanksgiving spent together in the cabin, cooking and relaxing in the mountains, became one of the most cherished memories of the trip. And for Myleigh and Connor, the joy was unmistakable—from arcade games and indoor pool time to discovering fossils and crystals at the gem mine.

As Connor perfectly summed it up, “The whole vacation was perfect, and nothing went wrong” “They handled everything so smoothly and gave our family the chance to rewrite a memory that used to hurt,” mom shared. “Now, instead of thinking about what went wrong the first time, we get to remember all the things that went right the second time”

 For this family, the redo wasn’t about pretending the first trip never happened. It was about honoring everything they had been through and proving to themselves and to their kids that photosensitivity doesn’t get the final word. Being able to participate fully, move without pain, and say “yes” to moments that once felt out of reach changed how this family now looks back on Tennessee, and how they look forward to future adventures.

By removing the burden of the sun and planning every detail with intention, Shadow Jumpers helps families like the Wilt-Helmicks reclaim experiences that were once tied to fear, guilt, or disappointment, and replace them with confidence, joy, and peace.