I wish to have a puppy
Anavah
11
congenital heart disease
Anavah's Wish for a Furry Friend is a Light of Hope
She especially treasures spending time with neighborhood friends and family, including her three brothers. Anavah is quite talented as well. She studies hard and does well in school, and she loves to play the piano and fill the air with music.
Born with a congenital heart condition, Anavah also doesn't know what it is like to experience a normal childhood. When Anavah's parents learned about her diagnosis, it cast a dark cloud over the entire family.
"They went through everything under the sun before diagnosing her. It was hard and traumatic," said Julie, Anavah's mother. "For three months, she was in the ICU. It wasn't until after we came out of the ICU that we could process what was going on."
Anavah has endured so much hardship, including numerous hospital visits and four heart surgeries, three of which were open-heart. She is currently awaiting her fifth heart surgery, as well as getting situated from her family’s recent move to the United States from Israel. It is especially hard since Anavah also has an ischemic brain injury from one of her heart surgeries. "If you looked at her, you would never know," Julie said. "But if you sat and did schoolwork with her, or spent time with her, you'd realize she was behind."
When the family was introduced to Make-A-Wish®, a light of hope shined for the first time in a long time. "The emotional impact of an illness is pretty heavy," Julie said "Having that hope and the anticipation of the actual wish really releases some of that heavy emotional burden."
Anavah has always had a soft spot for animals. When she took the opportunity to carefully consider her wish, she decided that she wanted a cute, cuddly dog by her side. As the search began to find the perfect fury companion, Anavah had something positive to look forward to. At the same, it brought the family closer together like never before. "Anavah was asking every day, 'When am I going to get my dog?'" Julie said. "It changed the focus to the anticipation. We will always remember the six-month wish journey as a very special time."
When the big day finally arrived, the build-up proved to be more than worth it. As wish greeters brought out a gorgeous mini goldendoodle puppy, there was instant chemistry. "The dog was small, so she could be held. It was instant love," Julie said.
Anavah and her new best friend, Willow, have become inseparable. Anavah loves to go on walks with Willow and feed and brush her. Besides having a new companion, Willow has helped Anavah in other ways, too. "It's good for Anavah to learn patience and responsibility," Julie said.
Anavah's wish was granted just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Willow has not only transformed Anavah's life and given her renewed strength, she has brought the entire family even more hope during challenging times. "I am so thankful that we got Willow just in time, because she helps all my kids get out of the house," Julie said. "She has just given them so much to do."