I wish to have a backyard playset
Teljn
4
cancer
Wish for a "twirly whirly" slide marks turning point in Teljn's treatment
A diagnosis of neuroblastoma had required surgery and chemotherapy here in Arizona before Teljn and his parents traveled across the country to spend months in New York City for new trials and treatments from leading experts.
“The first time in New York, we thought we would be there for three weeks but they kept adding weeks until we were there for seven weeks,” said Dane, Teljn’s dad. “We call it our New York adventure and we’ve been back five times since.”
About a month into treatment, New York had controlled the coronavirus enough that the family was given the go-ahead to be outside in parks and open areas.
“About a week after they opened, one month after our arrival in New York, we visited the playground!” said Hollie, Teljn’s mom. “From that point on Teljn loved the twirly whirly slides and all the fun things to do on the playgrounds.”
“In fact, the day before we got online with his Arizona wish granters, we had been to a park that had a huge curved slide and Teljn went down by himself for the first time,” said Dane. “It was all he would talk about when they talked to him about his wish.”
Teljn’s curved “twirly whirly” slide was fleshed out in the months he was in treatment, until Make-A-Wish Arizona broke ground in his backyard in October, building the playset just in time for he and his brothers to enjoy during the holiday.
Teljn and his family had much to celebrate this holiday, enjoying the swings, the rock wall, and not one but two slides, and the fact that Teljn has now had multiple sets of clear scans since their last visit to New York in July.
“He has his ‘twirly wirly’ slide and his second slides is the "Bumply Wumply" slide because it has smooth waves you go over as you slide down. He goes down those slides every day,” said Holli. “His older brother, Sven, has taught him how to swing on the swings and all his cousins have had a chance to play on the playset together.”
The family even does picnics on the artificial turf, “just like we are at the park.” Holli said that when Teljn saw his playset for the first time, he kept saying “I am a big boy."
“It was like he knew that the playset meant that he was a big boy, that he was ready to be a big boy,” said Holli. “It’s been a great wish for our family.”