The Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of Central and Northern Florida produced this video about Joe’s wish to have a violin.

After finding his grandfather’s violin, Joe taught himself to play the instrument. He loved its melody and would play it every evening after school.

At the age of 15, Joe was diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of cancer. He embarked on a long road to recovery. It took ten months for him just to hold a pencil. Against enormous odds, Joe returned to playing the violin and, within four months, performed for his family and friends at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Reflecting on being 15 and diagnosed with cancer, Joe says a wish “gives you something to hold onto when you don’t have anything … it gets you through the day.”