When the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma first visited Reece, he didn’t have to think twice about what he wanted his wish to be.  His love for Mickey Mouse is what made Reece choose a trip to Disney World!  Reece, a 6-year-old boy full of energy, suffers from hypo plastic left heart syndrome.  Not only was Reece going on a trip of a lifetime, he was going to be flying on an airplane for the first time!

Reece and his family arrived in Florida on June 7^th to begin their fun-filled adventure.  They stayed at Give Kids the World Village, a non-profit resort that accommodates guests to the extreme, providing them with endless bowls of ice cream, tickets to nearby theme parks, and so much more.   Reece’s favorite part about Give Kids the World was seeing all the trains on display and getting to ride the trolley train!

Reece’s wish finally came true when he got to meet Mickey and Minnie mouse.“He was smiling from ear to ear,” said Reece’s mother.  Give Kids the World also provided the family with park passes to several different amusement parks in the area.  Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom was Reece’s favorite roller coaster ride!  He also enjoyed feeding the dolphins and petting the sting rays at Sea World. 

“Reece has a fantastic time in Disney World,” said Reece’s mother.  “This was an experience-of-a-lifetime for the whole family.”

On June 3^rd, 2008 6-year-old Micah was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a day that Micah’s mom Karen describes as “the worst day of our lives”.  Little did they know that exactly one year later, Micah and the whole family would be screaming at the top of their lungs as they flew down Mt. Everest in Animal Kingdom.  Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma, Micah and his family were off to Disney World in Florida for a week!

On June 1st, Micah and his family arrived in Orlando, where they would be staying at Give Kids the World Village, a non-profit resort that provides their guests with an amazing and inexpensive Disney World experience.  The resort also provided the family with tickets to Universal Studios and Sea World. 

Karen said Micah loved the highest and fastest roller coasters, but his favorite ride had to be Splash Mountain. Micah and his brothers also went to the Indiana Jones show and even got to meet Indiana Jones himself! They were shown behind-the-scenes stunt tricks and received a hat and pair of gloves used in the show!  

“Thanks to Make-A-Wish, my children were able to experience the ultimate in fun and meet the most generous, compassionate people in the world,” said Karen.  “What a great way to show cancer that Micah is the winner!”

Wearing his new hat and gloves, Micah exclaimed, “Take that cancer!”

When Brooke was just three years old, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor that doctors didn’t believe she would live through.  Now, five years later, Brooke is a happy girl who is excited for her whole family to join her on a trip to Florida!  The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma granted Brook’s wish to go to Disney World!

On May 24^th of this year, Brooke and her family landed in Orlando where they stayed at Give Kids the World Village.  This is a non-profit resort that treats its guests like royalty, providing them with meals, tickets to nearby theme parks, and endless bowls of ice cream!  Brooke and her family stayed across from Candy Land, where Brooke enjoyed swimming with her brother and sister. 

Brooke’s favorite thing about Disney World was getting to meet all the characters, including Belle, Goofy and Pluto.  She also enjoyed Monsters, Inc. while at Disney. 

Brooke’s mother, Janette, said not only was she impressed, but so were her older children.  “They just couldn’t believe that so many people would go so far above and beyond to make something so special happen for their little sister,” Janette said.  “Our family had a great time!”

Sixteen-year-old Lauren, who has pulmonary artery hypertension, has just embarked on an experience-of-a-lifetime trip to Paris, France!

When the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma learned about Lauren’s wish, they began brainstorming ideas that would make her wish a memorable one. Lauren and family arrived in Paris on May 25^th for an eight-day-stay at the Novotel Paris Les Halles Hotel. During their stay, they enjoyed seeing many beautiful sites of Paris, including an Illuminations Cruise that toured the “City of Lights” at night.

Upon her arrival back into the United States, Lauren had one more surprise in store for her. The Make-A-Wish Foundation teamed up with Jewelers For Children and the local BC Clark’s to present Lauren with a special gift. She was surprised by the downtown BC Clark’s store with a sterling silver charm bracelet to commemorate her trip to Paris. BC Clark’s, along with other Oklahoma jeweler’s, sponsored Lauren’s wish through the Jewelers For Children “Wish A State” program!

Jewelers For Children was founded in 1990 with a mission of helping children in need. Since it’s partnership with the Make-A-Wish-Foundation of America, JFC has raised more than $6.9 million for the foundation and granted a total of 1,053 wishes.

Five-year-old Tristen has dealt with Cystic Fibrosis since he was just one week old.  The Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of Oklahoma was determined to give this special little boy the time of his life.  Tristen and his family headed to Disney World to meet his all-time favorite hero, Buzz Lightyear!

On May 23rd, Tristen and his family arrived at Give Kids the World Village, a non-profit resort that treats guests like royalty, providing them with tickets to nearby theme parks, endless bowls of ice cream, Christmas once a week and much more!  Tristen finally had his dream come true when he met Buzz Lightyear and Woody at Pixar Place in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!  Tristen’s mother, Lori, said he was so awestruck upon meeting the two characters.  “He actually stumbled,” said Lori.  “Woody held out his hand and rescued him!”  

It was a much different story when Tristen met the princesses.  “He acted SO shy!” said Lori.  Not only did Tristen get to meet all the Disney characters, he also enjoyed the rides.  His favorite rides included The Tower of Terror and the dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom. 

“We are so grateful for the Foundation’s generosity,” said Lori.  “This is the first family vacation we’ve ever had, and ultimately a once-in-a lifetime experience!” 

Army Recruit Granted A Wish

The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oklahoma had the opportunity to grant the wish of a member of the United States Army. Tony, 9, said, “I joined the Army to protect the United States of America.”

When Tony, who was diagnosed with ALL, was given the chance to wish for anything in the world, he could only think of one thing. He wished for his very own robot.  Tony is a huge Star Wars fan and this piece of information helped the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oklahoma find the perfect robot for this amazing boy.

The big day finally came and the excitement had built up. To enhance Tony’s wish, members of the UCO Color guard, along with members of the United States Army, presented Tony his very own voice – activated R2-D2 robot.  Because this little boy made such an impact on these American heroes, they also presented Tony a personalized Army uniform. The color guard and Army members included Ben Neterer, Justin Frosh, Dylan Jackson, Rob Brem, Sarai Davila, Tabitha Chambers, Micah Yost and Jonathan Neterer. 

Tony’s wish experience was not only memorable for him, but also for his entire family. Tony’s grandmother said, “This has been the happiest day.” 

Texas Ranger for the Day
Caleb, who was diagnosed with Pontine Glioma, has always had a love for baseball. He plays every summer in his hometown for the Hinton A’s. When the time came and Caleb’s wish granter asked him what he would like to wish for, it did not surprise anyone that he wished to be a Texas Ranger.

Caleb traveled down to Texas Stadium in Arlington to spend a full day as a Texas Ranger. To make this wish even more special, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Oklahoma really made Caleb feel like a professional athlete. A limo drove Caleb to the Home Plate entrance where he was greeted by the Rangers mascot, Captain. Captain then escorted Caleb to the Home Clubhouse where he met the Texas Rangers Baseball team including his personal baseball heroes, Josh Hamilton and Michael Young.

Caleb was given a personal locker next to Michael Young where he found his very own tailored Texas Rangers uniform. The team also presented an autographed bat and team baseball to Caleb. After that, he was ready to hit the field. Caleb participated in stretches with the team and played catch in the bullpen. He also had the opportunity to tour the press box and walk the lineup card to home plate with Texas Rangers Manager, Ron Washington. According to the Jenny Carlson article in the Daily Oklahoman, Caleb fell asleep wearing his Ranger gear. He actually had worn the clothing for a better part of the week and when Caleb was asked about his wish he said, “It was cool.”