"I wish for a movie room redo!"
Eric
5
heart condition
Eric’s Movie Room Wish
Eric's Very Own Movie Theater
Eric is a sweet, caring child who looks up to his older siblings and loves to play. But when a hospital stay took him off his feet, he didn’t have the energy for his usual games.
Eric has hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare birth defect in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped. As a result, the right side of the heart must work harder to pump blood throughout the body.
Treating this condition has required Eric to undergo multiple surgeries, each one with a long and difficult recovery period. Recovery often means that Eric is unable to play outside or engage in his usual activities. Instead, he turned to another favorite form of entertainment—movies!
During his first hospital stay, Eric rewatched Toy Story over and over and over again. Throughout recovery and the Covid quarantine that followed, he found that movies were a great way to pass the time, stay out of the Florida heat, and help him rest.
When it came time to make his wish, Eric had no trouble deciding from the options available to him. He wished for his own movie room!
On the day his wish was finally granted, Make-A-Wish rolled out the red carpet for Eric… literally!
Eric’s mom, Elizabeth, said that watching her son walk down the red carpet to his own ribbon-cutting ceremony was the top moment from that day. “[It was] the best memory. Seeing his reaction to the movie room was a beautiful memory that I won’t forget.”
And what’s a red carpet premiere without a crowd of adoring fans? Plenty of Eric’s extended family showed up to celebrate with him, as well. Eric was able to share his wish with siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles, who were all there to support him.
While Eric knew he was getting a movie room, he was completely surprised at the many well-thought-out details that were included, such as numerous nods to his favorite movie.
There are plenty of Toy Story posters throughout the room, but the prize of his new collection is a Lightyear poster signed by the tremendous staff at Pixar. His mom told us, “that’s his favorite one. Every time somebody comes in here, he will show it to them.”
Comfortable chairs for each member of the family and a galaxy projector light ensure that all visitors can enjoy movie night in style, while a marquis sign above the door proudly proclaims the true “star of the show.”
The sign—which reads “Now Showing: Eric!”—hangs above the entrance to the movie room and made his mom tear up the first time she saw it.
One of Eric’s favorite features is the fully stocked snack station. A family-sized popcorn machine, mini-fridge, and baskets stuffed with snacks make sure every movie night is one to remember. “Whenever we’re running low on snacks,” Elizabeth says, “he always tells me, ‘We need to get more!’” His go-to snack? Anything with chocolate.
I think the whole experience has also brought us closer. It’s a beautiful experience.
Wish mom, Elizabeth
Bringing Families Closer
Eric has loved having his own “special area” that’s uniquely his. He tells everybody he meets about his movie room, and it even doubles as a playroom (for all his Toy Story figures, of course!).
But one added benefit of Eric’s wish is the ability to bring his entire family closer.
The family has hosted a sleepover and Eric’s birthday party in the movie room, and he frequently shares the space with his siblings and cousins. Everyone has quickly found that movies transcend age differences, allowing the whole family to grow closer.
Eric is used to watching stories and adventures play out on the screen, but he deserved to feel like the star of the show!
To kids like Eric, a wish is more than just a nice gesture. Granted wishes make all the difference in improving the outlook and prognosis of critically ill children and help give them joy and strength.
You can help transform the lives of children just like Eric. By donating your financial support, attending a local event such as the Wishmaker’s Ball, or volunteering as a wish granter, you can help us reach our goal of changing the lives of critically ill children.
