I wish to go to the PBR World Finals in Texas
Osvaldo
17
chronic respiratory failure
Osvaldo lives his best cowboy life on his wish
Osvaldo has been a rodeo and bull riding fan since he was a toddler.
“Since he was 4 years old, Osvaldo’s been watching rodeo and bull riding on TV,” said his mother, Rebecca. “The adrenaline of seeing it, hearing the people, seeing the live-action, makes him extremely happy.”
And Osvaldo being happy is important to his family. Born with down syndrome and a respiratory condition that requires him to utilize a ventilator at night to breathe, Osvaldo is limited verbally, but definitely express his happiness in many ways.
“He’s such a great kid, but he’s been through a lot these past few years,” said Rebecca. Recently, Osvaldo had to undergo a trachea surgery due to his respiratory failure and his doctors and nurses knew he needed some good news after that hard surgery.
“When we learned about Make-A-Wish Arizona and what they do for kids like Osvaldo, I couldn’t believe that my son was going to be one of those lucky children,” continued Rebecca “When we talked about all the options and what would make Osvaldo happiest, we knew right away that his wish would be to see a rodeo in person.”
Osvaldo with some of his bull riding heroes!
Planning the trip required a lot of time and patience, but eventually the day came when Osvaldo received a special gift to start his wish trip to see the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas – a full cowboy outfit complete with felt hat! He wore that hat on his Southwest Airlines flight to Texas and only took it off when he got another hat!
“One of Osvaldo’s favorite moments of his wish was putting on his cowboy outfit,” said his mom. “At first, when he saw the outfit, he didn’t seem interested, but as soon as he put it on, he could not stop smiling. We could tell he became part of the PBR World Finals, he felt special.”
At the championship event at Dickies Arena, Osvaldo was able to see his favorite athletes – the world’s top bull riders. Many of the riders came by to say hello and take pictures, which made Osvaldo feel like a part of the activity. His family enjoyed the chance to see Osvaldo so happy.
"I am beyond grateful to everyone at Make-A-Wish, all the people who made this happen were very attentive, here in Arizona and in Texas," commented Rebecca. "Osvaldo remembers this trip and if he loved bull riding before his wish, he now loves it even more!”
Osvaldo continues to attend online school and is doing great health-wise, but now the PBR is in his blood.
“He still loves to wear his hat and watch PBR on TV,” said Rebecca. “And now he knows what it feels like to be there in person – he will always have that memory.”