In the eight months that followed, Andrew endured two emergency surgeries, six rounds of chemotherapy and three stem cell transplants.

"Most of that eight months, we were a divided family," said Andrew's mom, Amy. "We felt very isolated."

During treatment, Andrew's care team decorated his hospital room with pictures of his favorite animals, and regular visits from the service dogs helped lift his spirits and offer much-needed comfort. These small, joyful moments sparked Andrew's love for animals.

"With our WishMakers, they helped us brainstorm and we came up that he could be a zookeeper for the day because he just loves animals so much," Amy said.

Thanks to a compassionate community of WishMakers like you, Andrew's wish to be a zookeeper came true! Andrew made countless new animal friends, from the friendly giraffes who leaned in for a hello to the hungry camels who crunched on the lettuce he fed them. And for the first time in two years, his family spent meaningful, stress-free time together.

"For Make-A-Wish to come around us and for people to help us, it's truly impactful, and it changed our lives forever," Amy said.

Become a WishMaker® this World Wish Month®, because as long as children like Andrew face devastating critical illnesses, they'll be counting on you to give them the hope and strength they need to fight.