Meet our Wish Kids Archive

Alessia Wished to go to Italy

When our volunteers first interviewed 14-year-old Alessia , she was a little shy and really didn't know what her special wish might be. As she thought about it, she realized the only possible choice would be to go to Italy with her family .

For years, her grandfather had regaled the family with stories of his home there. Wouldn't it be great to enjoy Rome, Venice and Florence first-hand with her mom, dad, sister and cousin?

According to her mom, the best part of the wish experience for Alessia was to feel so special and pampered throughout the entire trip - all of the hotels and restaurants treated her as the VIP she truly is. One of their most memorable moments occurred when they went for a gondola ride in Venice. Visiting the various marketplaces and bargaining with the vendors also was an experience the family will never forget and that to this day makes them all laugh together.

We are happy that Alessia and her family were able to attend our 25th Anniversary Gala, sharing their experience in person with the people who had helped make her wish come true.

Our 7,000th Wish! Taurean wished for snowboarding equipment

One can't help but be impressed by our chapter's 7,000th wish recipient, Taurean . This sporty and unassuming 18-year-old from the Bronx, who just finished high school, is truly inspiring in his inner strength and positive attitude. He is convinced that his yoga practice and martial arts training, which he started at the age of six, have helped him face and cope with his illness, Lymphoma.

Over the past two years, Taurean has expanded his sports repertoire to include snowboarding. He loves the opportunity it gives him to be outdoors and appreciate nature.

Taurean was so happy to receive his brand-new, state-of-the art snowboarding equipment - as wished for - perfectly in time for his school trip. He was overjoyed as he unpacked the many bags and boxes of items he had selected that were delivered to his home. What fun to open these delightful packages containing two snowboards (one for his sister, so they could share in this activity together), a warm yet very cool winter jacket, gloves, bindings, hats, and to top it all off, an iPod to play his favorite tunes while sliding down the wintry slopes! It was all there, and made his school trip one that he will never forget! We wish you many more fun-filled snowboarding trips, Taurean!

Andrea's Wish that keeps on giving

What would YOU wish for if you could have, be or do anything you wanted? It's a very big question and cannot be taken lightly! That's why 17-year-old Andrea thought about it long and hard. She remembered the words of her mentor and teacher, who had once said that if she ever had the chance, she should go on a trip to South Africa for an unforgettable experience. In the end, these words made her decide to go to this far-away place and to experience a lifestyle and culture so different from her own.

As it turned out, her teacher was absolutely right. Andrea will never forget her trip of a lifetime. Together with her mother and uncle, she spent 10 days traveling through South Africa, collecting unforgettable memories in places like Johannesburg, Capetown and many small townships in between and making new friends along the way. Andrea recalls, "I saw things, people and places that I had never experienced before." She adds that she will always remember the wonderful people she met and that it was " such a rewarding experience " to be on this trip. "To do this together with my mom and uncle - who have helped me so much when I was going through rough times with my illness [Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma] - to have this beautiful experience together now" clearly meant a lot to her.

Seeing the poverty in which so many people live also inspired Andrea to collect clothes and other items which she now plans to ship to the people she met in the townships. Andrea's mom explains that her daughter has always been very much involved in local community service, and that this trip has definitely strengthened her commitment to helping and serving others even more . "This was such a meaningful trip for all of us," concludes Andrea, and one cannot help but agree when listening to their shared experience.

Izzy's Wish - To Visit Walt Disney World® Resort

"This is so cool!" exclaimed four-year-old Izzy when a stretch limo pulled up in front of his house. Neither he, nor his two older brothers had ever been in a limo before and Izzy was completely fascinated by this sight. In his excitement, all he could say, over and over again, was "This is sooo cool!"

Only one year ago, Izzy had undergone a heart transplant and was now well enough to get his most heartfelt wish granted: To go to Walt Disney World® Resort, a trip he had so much looked forward to during his months of recovery. He says that he liked the MGM Studios the most, since that's where he got to meet his favorite characters - the Power Rangers, Winnie the Pooh and Goofy. Izzy still gets excited as he recalls the many different activities, including the puppet show he got to see - The Bear and the Big Blue House.

All in all, this was an unforgettable experience for him and he made new friends. The entire family is grateful to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for making Izzy's wish come true. They all agree that the experience and the memories are something that he'll cherish forever.

A special thank you to DisneyHand, worldwide outreach for the Walt Disney Company, for providing complimentary admission and special perks for all of the families that experience a Disney wish!

Antonio's Wish - A Bridge, Tower & Tunnel Tour to London and Paris

Antonio, who is eight years old, surprised his entire family when he announced his most heartfelt wish: to go and see London's Tower Bridge which he studied in his third grade class at that time. Adding Paris to the trip was due to his interest in the structure of the Eiffel Tower. Architecture just captured Antonio's imagination and he was thrilled to find out that the Make-A-Wish Foundation would send him and his family on a trip to see it all first- hand.

His Moms recall that at first they were a bit worried about the hassles of planning a trip to Europe - but as it turned out, the Make-A-Wish Foundation did all the planning for them. All they had to do was enjoy the journey. How exciting to see London's Tower Bridge up close and then travel by train through the famous Chunnel to Paris - at about 188 miles per hour, no less!

Antonio is still excited as he recalls the trip. He fondly remembers his new, special friend, Roel, a Make-A-Wish volunteer from our Paris affiliate. Roel also happens to be an engineer and took time to teach Antonio about bridge and structure designs as he took the family on a tour of the Paris bridges across the Seine and the glass pyramid outside the Louvre. Constance, an architecture student affiliated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, took them on a tour of the Eiffel Tower. How gratifying to witness Antonio, who had completed his treatment for A.L.L. months prior to this trip, being in such good shape that he had no trouble climbing up Eiffel Tower!

The entire family had a great time and remembers this trip with fondness, calling it a "new beginning" in their collective history. For Antonio, it was a trip that satisfied his curiosity and opened many new horizons for him - we're happy for you, Antonio!

Amrutha's Wish - To visit family in India

Amrutha is a lovely, shy seven-year-old girl who is diagnosed with Leukemia. Her most heartfelt wish was granted when the Make-A-Wish Foundation® arranged for her and her family to travel to India to see her grandmother. "I was born here [in the US], and have only been to India once when I was a little baby," Amrutha explains, "I wanted so much to go back and see my grandmother, I missed her."

So off she went, accompanied by her parents, to visit the land of her ancestors, halfway around the world. Once she reached her destination, there were so many things and experiences that made her trip memorable! How exciting, to go on such a long plane ride! Amrutha also enjoyed the great variety of Indian food she had the opportunity to sample. What Amrutha loved the most, though, was spending precious time with her grandma. What a pleasure, to do simple things like sitting close to each other and watch movies together! "I really loved every minute of the trip," says Amrutha, " it would be great to go back someday," she adds.