Caiden is the kind of kid who takes a minute to warm up. But ask the right question, and his face lights up (especially if it has anything to do with Pokémon)!

At home, Caiden’s world is packed with the stories he loves. He is all in on Super Mario, Sonic, and Godzilla. He builds with Legos, plays video games, and likes being outside when he can. He even plays the drums, a place where he can be loud on purpose, and proud of it.

Even though Caiden’s interests are very typical for an 11-year-old, his everyday life is not always that simple. Behind the Pokémon facts and the Super Mario excitement is a child who has had to grow up around hospital walls, pain, and plans that can change in a moment.

A Season of Strength

As a newborn, Caiden was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, a blood disorder that changes the shape of red blood cells. Instead of staying soft and round, they can become rigid and curved. When that happens, those cells do not move through the body as easily. They can block blood flow and keep oxygen from getting where it needs to go, which can cause intense pain and serious complications.

For Caiden, it has meant long stretches of doing okay, then sudden moments when everything changes. Pain can come on quickly, sometimes settling deep in his back. He has missed school, missed plans, and spent more time in hospitals than any child should. His mom, Delilah, describes one of the hardest parts as the waiting, “not knowing when the next time is going to happen.”

In 2022, Caiden went through a frightening crisis that landed him in the PICU for 11 days, including a blood transfusion. Since then, Delilah says he has been the most stable he has been in years, but sickle cell does not come with guarantees. Even in the calmer stretches, their family carries that constant awareness that another tough day could be right around the corner.

When so much can feel unpredictable, having something to look forward to can change the shape of a whole season. And for Caiden, that could only mean one thing: a chance to meet his heroes at Universal’s Epic Universe!

Caiden’s Epic Wish

When the trip finally arrived, Caiden traded routine for wonder. From the start, the pace felt different, lighter, like someone else was carrying the heavy pieces for a while. Caiden got to do what kids are meant to do: look around wide-eyed, pick what sounded fun, and let the day unfold.

At Give Kids The World Village, the joy was built into everything. There were activities and events happening all the time, little surprises around the corner, and a feeling that Caiden did not have to earn the fun, it was simply waiting for him. He could just be a kid, surrounded by other families who understood what it means to grab onto moments like these.

Then came the part Caiden had been dreaming about: stepping into Super Mario World at Epic Universe. The colors were brighter than a screen, the details felt real, and Caiden took it all in like he was trying to memorize every inch. Meeting Mario and Luigi made it even better, a moment that felt almost impossible until it was happening right in front of him.

One of Caiden’s other favorite moments was meeting “Toothless,” the winged main character from How to Train Your Dragon. He was fully in his element, smiling, engaged, and so clearly himself, the kid who loves big stories and even bigger adventures.

The Power of a Wish

For Caiden, the wish was something entirely his own: not a hospital milestone or a recovery goal, but a memory built around joy, choice, and imagination. It gave him something to talk about at school, something to replay in his mind on quieter days, and proof that his life holds excitement far beyond doctor visits.

For Delilah, the week carried a different kind of gift. It was the rare feeling of calm, a stretch of days where she did not have to plan around medications, symptoms, or what might happen next. “A week of just fun,” she said, “it was very relaxing…a calm moment in our story.” That pause, even temporary, mattered more than she can easily put into words.

That is the heart of what Make-A-Wish is here to do—create space for kids to be kids again, and give families a reason to breathe. A wish cannot erase a critical illness, but it can bring back the confidence, connection, and freedom that illnesses often steal. Across Central and Northern Florida, each wish is built around what a child loves most, because feeling seen and celebrated is powerful medicine in its own way.

And just as important, a wish reminds families they are not carrying this alone. Volunteers, donors, care teams, and community partners step in to make the moment possible, wrapping a child’s favorite dream in the kind of support that says, we are with you, and your joy matters.

You Can Be a Wishmaker!

Caiden’s story is full of the same things any kid loves: games, characters, big adventures, and laughter. It is also marked by sickle cell disease and the uncertainty that can come with it. His wish offered something powerful in the middle of all that, a bright spot to run toward, and a week to focus on joy.

More kids across Central and Northern Florida are still waiting for that moment, the one that helps them feel like themselves again, and gives their families a reason to breathe.

You can help make it happen. Donate or volunteer with Make a Wish Central and Northern Florida® to help grant more wishes and bring more “yes” days to wish kids who need them most.