Mya's wish: You Are Essential to Granting Wishes

When Rebecca and Elias left the hospital with their daughter Mya, they thought they were headed home with a healthy baby. “You see what you want your kid to look like, and you know, kind of envision what it’s going to be as a mom. And we had no idea,” Rebecca said.

During a well-baby appointment, doctors told the family something was wrong. Mya was not breathing normally; they learned she may only have 18 months to live. “It was devastating for me, because we thought everything was OK,” Rebecca said. The couple found a gene treatment program for Mya. “It was very stressful at first, but she is a miracle,” Elias said.

Today, smiley and spontaneous Mya is 5 and uses a wheelchair. “She is a bright star,” Elias said. “She brings joy to everybody she meets.” When Make-A-Wish came into Mya’s life, she made an imaginative request: Mya wished to meet and ride a unicorn whom she would name Clover. “I love unicorns and I wanted to meet one in real life,” Mya said.

Mya’s wish came true – but not by luck or chance. It came true because a group of caring WishMakers came together to create a life-changing experience that she and her family will remember forever. From the medical partner who referred Mya for a wish, to the owner and barn manager at Mya’s local equestrian center who transformed a white horse into a beautiful multi-colored unicorn, to the volunteers and wish alumni who greeted Mya on her wish day with cheers and support, to the donors who contributed to the costs of bringing Mya’s wish to life, many WishMakers had a hand in giving Mya the kind of joy, strength and hope that only comes with a wish.

“When she saw Clover, she lit up,” Elias said. After spending quality time petting and riding Clover, Mya opened unicorn-themed gifts and enjoyed a princess picnic with her family and friends. “I felt like Mya was on cloud nine in that moment,” Rebecca said. “Every moment that we have with her, you know, is priceless anyway. But to see her that happy and … for a moment, the illness stops.

“Mya's wish has impacted her specifically because her confidence has grown,” Rebecca added. “She knows now that she can do anything.”

Mya and her family will always draw hope and joy from their experience with Clover and the many WishMakers like you who rallied around them to bring them strength when they needed it most.