Seven year-old Matthew has been a fan of STAR WARS® since he was a toddler, so it was no surprise to his family when Matthew wished to BE R2-D2, the famous droid from the Star Wars movies.
Matthew’s unique wish of becoming R2-D2 was granted by Make-A-Wish® Oklahoma on February 13th. The life-size, drivable droid was designed and built by Little Mountain Productions, a local prop and set design company. Matthew was very excited when he first saw his very own R2-D2, which was presented to him at a Star Wars themed pep rally hosted by Bishop Kelley High School students. The students performed a Star Wars skit in which R2-D2 (a.k.a Matthew) saved the Princess! Matthew’s wish was unique, extraordinary and “out of this world” for a little boy who has been battling cancer over the past two years.

“It’s a pretty unique wish. It was absolutely incredible…so far beyond what I expected,” said Matthew’s mother, Tina.

Sometimes you forget to cherish the little things, until they’re no longer easy to access. Make-A-Wish® Oklahoma was able to give Kolton and his family a glimpse at the little things they had been missing since his diagnoses with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Kolton is the youngest of three children and cherished by his mother, as he was the baby. Since he was a young, Kolton suffered from some medical problems and one morning his mother woke up to find a rash all over him. She quickly took him to the doctor so he could receive some blood work. When the results came in, the doctor told Kolton’s mom to take him to the OU Medical Center immediately and the next day Kolton was diagnosed with ALL.

The diagnoses shook up the family, including Kolton’s mom, who had to leave her job to stay home with and care for her youngest son. After hearing about Make-A-Wish® Oklahoma from a friend, Kolton’s mom referred Kolton and he received a shopping spree from the Foundation.

Kolton and his family received VIP treatment on his wish day. They were chauffeured in a limo all around town, including to Kolton’s favorite restaurant to eat a fun lunch before the shopping began!  After lunch the entire family headed to Wal-Mart where Kolton was able to shop ‘til he dropped!

“Make-A-Wish® was truly a blessing to my family,” Kolton’s mom said. “We were a fun, happy, and no worries family that day.”

    When Lane was 4-years-old, he was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. But soon Lane would have the opportunity of a lifetime to experience a Make-A-Wish^® journey.
    In July 2009, he was able to meet his wish granter, Macey. She was there to help him as he made his wish with the help of a magical wish ball and then they sealed it with a champagne popper.
    While waiting for his wish to come true, Lane got to experience many other exciting events. He was able to attend a fundraiser at Stillwater High School, go fishing with some professional baseball players at Boone Ranch; he became a special spectator and threw the first pitch at an OU baseball game. Lane’s favorite event was with the National Reining Horse Association as part of the 4R Performance Horses "8" Second Celebrity Slide.
    “[Make-A-Wish^®  Oklahoma] provided many opportunities to our family that we otherwise would not have been able to attend,” Lane’s mom said.
    Finally, the day came for Lane’s wish to come true. He and his family traveled to the airport and were greeted by Lane’s wish adopter, Casey, and wish granter, Macey, as well as their family and friends for a send-off party. The send-off party was complete with signs for Lane, traveling games and toys, plus donuts that said, “Make A Wish Lane.”
    After the party, Lane and his family boarded their plane and left for Orlando, where they would leave on a Disney Cruise Line^® the next day.
    Lane got to meet several characters like Minnie Mouse, Goofy and one of his favorites, Pluto.
    He and his family were able to enjoy many different activities on the cruise like water slides, swimming in the
“Mickey pool,” and plenty of dinners together. Lane was amazed at how the servers during meals knew so much about him; his name, his favorite drink and his favorite condiment, ketchup.
    Also, Lane was one of five children chosen to perform as one of Snow White’s dwarfs in The Golden Mickeys; a musical show that mimics an award show including performances from different Disney films. He performed on stage in front of the entire audience dressed as a dwarf; pointy hat and long, white beard included.
    “Happiness Heals and Make-A-Wish^® really inspired a lot of healing,” Lane’s mom said.