Antonia's Wish to Go on a Ski Trip
In 2020, Antonia and her family were planning a ski trip when they received devastating news: Antonia had lymphoma. “It’s probably one of the worst experiences you can get when they give you the news,” said Antonia’s dad, Miguel. Multiple rounds of chemotherapy left Antonia withdrawn and depressed. “It was hard to see my 10-year-old go from being a happy, healthy kid to a girl who suffered,” said her mom, Elisa.
Antonia’s illness also impacted her younger sister, Clara, who felt lost in the shadows of treatment. “Clara was with good friends, but without her mom and dad, and Antonia needed me at the hospital,” Elisa explained.
Despite this dark time, the sisters share an unbreakable bond, navigating life’s challenges together. “I just love having her around and always being able to have that best friend figure,” Antonia said. “I hope she knows how much I love her and that she can count on me for anything.”
When Antonia learned she could make a heartfelt wish, she saw it as a chance to rekindle her relationship with Clara and plan the family ski trip they had dreamed of and lost. “Antonia’s mind just flew from outside our house, outside the hospital; there was no limit,” Miguel said. The sisters brainstormed like “partners in crime,” imagining a cozy ski town where they could shop and relax as a family. “After everything we’d gone through, we got to look forward to something,” Clara said.
Thanks to supporters like you, Antonia’s family lived out their dream ski trip in the Rockies, enjoying the slopes and a spa day with matching robes. Even through some falls on the slopes, “we were cracking up,” Antonia said. “We weren’t getting up because we were laughing so hard. We will always look back and laugh about that.”
“As a mom, it has been the best wish because I saw both of my girls suffering in different ways,” Elisa said. “The emotional harm ... it’s being repaired now. Thanks to the wish, it’s healing.”
Today, Antonia is thriving and healthy. She credits her wish for bringing her family closer. “My wish means that I am able to finish off this chapter of my life with a happy experience and some closure,” Antonia said. “It was like a celebration of everything I've gone through and how strong my family is together. Now, we can just live.”
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