A Pigtacular Wish Come True
Svea shares a unique and special connection with animals, especially her pigs, Olive and Oliver. She loves farms, and her small hometown is surrounded by them. She says being around animals brings her boundless joy.
“They are my babies,” she laughed, a wide smile on her face. “The farm is a piece of me I can never let go.”
When Svea turned 11 years old, she noticed herself feeling more fatigue, an added weight on her usually vibrant spirit. She would sit on the couch unable to muster the strength to move. She got sick more often, and then the leg pain started. Her leg would randomly collapse, making her fumble and trip sporadically.
Her parents took her to the pediatrician, and blood tests revealed an insidious reason for her strange symptoms.
“You need to go to Seattle Children’s right away,” said Svea’s medical provider.
“I knew I had cancer,” said Svea. “It was a sense I couldn’t explain. I just knew.”
The next few years, the hospital would become her second home. Away from her animals and the farm she loved, she shuttled back and forth to the hospital for various treatments including chemotherapy, radiation and eventually a bone marrow transplant.
During those difficult times, Svea found a distraction in an unexpected place. While in the hospital, her mother was flipping through television channels one day when a show sparked their interest. It was about a farm, and it was called Saved by the Barn.
Throughout treatment, Svea said the show was a joyful distraction.
“The show was about people who rescue farm animals,” said Svea. “It touched me, and I related to it so much. It helped me get through a lot. If I was getting an IV or an ultrasound, we’d watch an episode.”
That’s about the time Make-A-Wish came into the picture.
Svea’s family talked about possible wishes. Eventually, they decided upon a wish experience that would bring the show she loved to life. She wished to go to the Barn Sanctuary, the same farm featured in the television show she’d come to love.
When the Barn Sanctuary heard about Svea’s wish, they were excited. They had never granted a wish before.
"Our goal was to make sure Svea walked out of here with a smile on her face, but she already had one when she arrived. It was a wish come true to us to see how happy and excited she was to spend the day at Barn and that we could give her that,” said Tom McKernan, director of operations.
Svea could barely contain her joy when she arrived on the farm for her wish. Dan McKernan, the founder of president of the Barn Sanctuary, gave Svea a big hug when she arrived, and happy tears fell down her cheeks.
“My wish is a dream,” said Svea. “It fills my heart with joy. I am so thankful they took the time to have me.”
Svea said as soon as she got to the Barn Sanctuary, it felt like home. She got to see all the rescue animals and the experience was one she will never forget.
When Svea grows up, she said she wants to rescue animals and have a farm just like the Barn Sanctuary. She said her wish solidified that future for her.
Special thanks to wish-granting volunteers Suzanne Greene and Mary Gage, Make-A-Wish Michigan, Red Robin, Hilton Garden Inn Seattle Airport, Avis, and The Kensington Hotel. Thank you Barn Sanctuary for making Svea’s wish possible – and for bringing dreams to life.