Lizzy's Story

Lizzy, 14 
Leukemia 
I wish to visit St. Thomas

We have just recently returned from our trip to St. Thomas. I am looking forward to completing the Wish Experience Survey, but I will share a few thoughts while they are fresh in my mind.

First, our trip was amazing, simply a dream. We cannot thank you enough for the trip of a lifetime. With that said, it was not just the trip you gave us. The gift you gave was given in 2019 when our daughter was extremely sick and in the hospital. At that time, our social worker at CHOP told Lizzy to start to wish. While she was fighting cancer there were so many things she could not do. She could not see her friends, go to school, dance ballet, or be with her sister. There were days when she could not walk, feed herself, or move without tremendous pain. When all the things she could not do seemed mountainous, she was able to make a wish. Many times, to escape pain and fear, she and I would talk about her wish. To imagine herself somewhere else instead of the hospital was a relief. To plan and dream about the future gave her hope and strength when she had little left. Only the child and parents experience this esoteric aspect of Make-A-Wish, but I believe it is truly the gift that you have given.

This year Lizzy was able to see her wish come true. She flew through the air on a zipline, played with a dolphin, swam alongside a sea turtle, looked for shells with her sister, and snorkeled with her mom and dad. We have so much gratitude for the team of organizers, vendors, and financial supporters. In the future, we would welcome the opportunity to thank all who have made our wish possible and tell our story of how Make-A-Wish touched our lives.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

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