Q: Why did you choose this wish?

A: I have always wanted to go to Hawaii and see the ocean. I had never been anywhere like that before in my life.

Q: What was one of your favorite memories from the wish?

A: One of my favorite memories from Hawaii was parasailing in the ocean. I was flying directly over the ocean! We were also lowered and dipped into the ocean from the parachute at one point. I had no idea the ocean was that salty!! I enjoyed everything we did such as jet skiing, snorkeling, deep sea diving, visiting Pearl Harbor, the helicopter ride, all the beaches and swimming in the ocean! I have so many great memories!

Q: What's your medical diagnosis now?

A: On Feb.19, 2008, I celebrated being in remission for 10 years!!! My oncologist has cleared me of any signs of cancer, and I no longer need to undergo anymore CT scans or heart echos.

Q: What are some of the highlights of your life now?

A: After high school, I attended the University of Minnesota (where I had half of my treatments). I graduated with a bachelor of science in child psychology. I am currently a teacher for the Head Start Program. I know I will always have a job in helping children just as others have helped me. I will also be getting married this summer to my boyfriend of nine years. His sister Beth was also diagnosed with cancer and received a wish of going to Maui from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Q: What did your wish mean to you?

A: I can’t even begin to describe how much going to Hawaii meant to me. I come from a family of very hard workers, but not at all wealthy. We could have never afforded to go to Hawaii let alone do the kinds of things Make-A-Wish provided for us while we were there. Going through cancer taught me a lot about life, my family and how strong we were. It was amazing to share this experience with the people I love who were there for me the most. My family and I still talk about the unbelievable time we had and how we would love to return someday. It was truly a dream come true.

Q: What do you want to tell people about the Make-A-Wish Foundation?

A: The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a wonderful organization that grants “miracles” to children and their families. While I was going through the toughest time in my life, Make-A-Wish helped me to forget about that and helped me to remember that I could just be a kid again. For that week in Hawaii, I was a healthy, active 16 year old and was able to experience things that I thought I would never get to experience. They truly gave us the royal treatment! My family and I are so grateful we all got a chance to travel to such a wonderful place and be together while going through one of the scariest times in our life. We will NEVER forget it or all the wonderful people that made it happen.