Fifteen-year-old Rachel, who battles a life-threatening medical condition, got to choose any wish she wanted from the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Utah. Rachel loves to play basketball and softball, and enjoys drama and singing. She also loves to watch “Friends,” but her favorite program is the ABC show “Alias.” As a fan of the show, and as an aspiring actress, her single greatest wish was to meet the cast of “Alias,” along with the star of the show, Jennifer Garner. Although visitors are normally not allowed close access to the “Alias” set during filming, the director agreed to make a special exception for Rachel and her family. Rachel was going to get her wish!

On the day of departure, Rachel’s parents and three siblings accompanied her on a flight to Los Angeles, where they were greeted by a volunteer from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles and accompanied to their four-star hotel near the Santa Monica Pier. Rachel and her family spent a few days relaxing and seeing the sights of Southern California. They visited all the places that Rachel wanted to see, including the beach, Hollywood, and the Museum of Television & Radio. Rachel felt great during the trip. Her health was good, and she looked forward to the granting of her wish.

When the day arrived, Rachel’s entire family was allowed on the set. They received headphones during the filming so they could hear everything that was going on. Rachel was even given the best seat in the house – the director’s chair! During one crucial scene, a stunt car skidded down a hill and screeched to a halt. Jennifer Garner smiled at Rachel and mouthed to her, “Did you see that?” After filming wrapped, Jennifer greeted Rachel with a smile and a big bear hug. Rachel’s mom said, speaking of Jennifer, “She was so friendly. I was so impressed with her, the way she was with those kids. Honestly, meeting Jennifer gave me faith in actors again.”

Rachel was impressed too. She said that she loved talking to Jennifer and finding out what acting was really like. Jennifer was more than happy to autograph photos for everybody, including Rachel’s friends back home. At first, Rachel thought that she wasn’t going to meet one of her favorite actors, the one who plays Jennifer’s boyfriend. But Jennifer had a surprise in store. She escorted Rachel to an on-set trailer, and inside, waiting for Rachel, was the actor, who gave Rachel another hug and smiled for lots of pictures. Jennifer spent a long time with Rachel, but eventually she had to say goodbye to keep other commitments. Jennifer hugged Rachel and her siblings again, and told them to come back any time. Rachel and family were then given a personal tour of the rest of the set and invited to hang out with the cast as long as they wanted.

Back home and back at school, Rachel passed out souvenirs and continues to excitedly tell people about her trip to the set of “Alias.”