I wish to see snow
Zac
4
cancer
Zac's Snowy Adventure
When wish kid Zac was diagnosed with cancer in December 2014, he was forced to spend his Christmas in the hospital. For a child who loves playing outside, especially in the colder months, this made an already scary and stressful time all the more difficult.
Zac’s grandmother, or “Honey” to her grandchildren, said that was one of the hardest parts of treatment. “I was watching him struggle through chemo and seeing him sit at the window, wanting and aching to go outside,” she reflected.
In January 2017, after two years of chemotherapy, surgeries, and radiation treatments, Zac’s wish to see snow was granted! His family headed off to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for a week full of excitement and adventure.
The family got to visit the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where Zac had the honor of becoming a Junior Park Ranger. They also enjoyed all kinds of attractions like Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, The Island of Pigeon Forge, and Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area and Amusement Park.
At Ober Gatlinburg, Zac was able to build his very first snowman, make snow angels, ride a tram for the first time, learn the ropes of a proper snowball fight, and learn how to ski! Zac and his family also enjoyed going to the falls, which Honey said had “beautiful ice crystals.” Zac even got an up-close look at history when they visited a log cabin built in the 1800s and got to see how people lived in the mountains back then.
The family also got to go snow tubing alongside frozen, snow-covered rivers. The fun continued with a surprise party for Zac right there on the mountain.
Studies have proven that a wish is more than just a nice thing. For Zac, it was a chance for him and his family to take a step back from the endless hospitals and treatments that had filled the last two years of their lives and make new, priceless memories. This snowy wish gave a family an experience they’ll never forget, and one they got to share without the cloud of a critical illness hanging over their heads.
When you support Make-A-Wish Alabama, you give that piece of joy to children just like Zac in your own community.
