Nolan’s Story: ‘My Wish Made Me Feel Cool’

Nolan was diagnosed with leukemia when he was just 4 years old.

“He was very afraid of the hospital and all of the medical treatments,” said Nolan’s mom, Jennifer. “It was a time of a lot of anxiety, and stress and fear.” To help him cope with the isolation of his treatment, Jennifer began taking Nolan for daily car rides, just for fun. On one of those drives, they stumbled upon a rock music station, and something remarkable happened – Nolan discovered his passion.

“Rock and roll was like an outlet for him,” Jennifer said. “We would roll all the windows down, and we would just drive.”

After two years of grueling chemotherapy, and another six months still ahead, Nolan and his family found renewed strength, resilience and joy when a community of WishMakers granted his heartfelt wish with Make-A-Wish®: to be in a rock band. Now, every time Nolan blasts his favorite jam or bangs on the drums, he draws on powerful memories of his wish, created by the kindness and effort of those who rallied around him.

From the poster makers and set-up crew to Nolan’s bandmates, Jennifer thanks each WishMaker for supporting Nolan in his hardest moments. “I was amazed by all the people that came together. My community just coming around us and doing all of this out of the goodness of their hearts … it really, honestly, was the beginning of us coming out of our shell after a long medical journey.”

More wish kids like Nolan are counting on you. Become a WishMaker this World Wish Month, because, as Nolan says, “World Wish Month will make the kids happy.”