"I wish for a room redo!"
Gabriella
15
leukemia
Gabriella's Room Redo Wish
Gabriella's Transformative Wish
“If I were to describe Gabriella in one word, it would be effervescent,” says Connie.
And the more you learn about Connie’s daughter, Gabriella, the more true that becomes. The 15-year-old is certainly a force to be reckoned with.
Like many of her peers, Gabriella loves singing, playing the piano, getting creative in the kitchen, practicing archery, having tea parties, and snuggling with her cat, Grace. She’s also thoughtful, caring, sensitive, and an “old soul” who thinks about things deeply.
But when she was just 10 years old, life came to a crashing halt. Gabriella was diagnosed with a triple rare form of gamma-delta T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is already an incredibly rare type of cancer, with only 6,000 people diagnosed in the United States each year.
Gabriella and her family were fortunate enough to receive treatment at Shands Hospital, but even these renowned experts had never seen this particular form of cancer before and had to consult with experts from around the world.
“They were winging it,” says Connie.
Initially, the first round of treatment looked promising, and Gabriella was thought to be in remission. But just four months after her diagnosis, a highly specialized scan revealed there were still cancer cells in her system.
The only course of action they had left was also the most aggressive: a bone marrow transplant.
As a bone marrow transplant nurse, Connie understood what was at stake. After all, she’d helped many people through this medical treatment before. But never a child, and never her own child.
Gabriella endured multiple rounds of harsh chemo, total body radiation, and multiple medications to prepare for the transplant. “They had to completely and totally obliterate [Gabriella’s] entire immune system,” Connie says. “A newborn baby had more immunity than she did."
For many patients, finding a compatible donor is the most difficult part of a bone marrow transplant. But Gabriella didn’t have to look too far. Her brother, a Marine stationed in California, was a perfect match.
At the end of January 2020, the bone marrow transplant was completed successfully and Gabriella was able to go home just six weeks later, but that was only the beginning of a long and difficult recovery.
After she was released, life became a succession of visits to the clinic, hospital, and ER. She suffered from the side effects of the drugs, including an allergic reaction.
“There were times when she lost her voice, there were times when she was in excruciating pain, times when she was so weak she couldn’t even walk,” recalls Connie. “[But] she made it look so easy. Even when she was in the most grueling, horrific circumstances.”
Thankfully, Gabriella pulled through and is now a happy, healthy teen. But it’s safe to say that, after everything she went through, she was in desperate need of a break. And that’s where Make-A-Wish came in!
After spending so much time in hospital rooms and clinics, Gabriella was ready for a room of her own.
The family had just moved into a vintage home with a bedroom and bathroom upstairs that was perfect for a teenager. But it needed a bit of an upgrade.
Gabriella’s wish? A bedroom makeover!
One of our Wish Enhancement Volunteers consulted with Gabriella to get an idea of the look and feel of the room. Gabriella decided on a boho look but also expressed an interest in some extra touches to reflect her many interests.
Once the consultation was out of the way, the entire project was kept a secret.
“I didn’t even go up to my bedroom,” says Gabriella. “I didn’t even go to the bottom of the stairs.”
It was a long wait, but the results were worth it.
The team did a complete overhaul of the bedroom and bathroom. New flooring reflects the original vintage charm of the home, but there are plenty of modern touches that make this the perfect room for a teenage girl.
An old closet was expanded to become her new music nook, complete with sound-activated LED lights. A new vanity in the bathroom is the perfect place to get ready for the day.
But one of Gabriella’s favorite touches is a painting of a teapot pouring out the words “Adventure Awaits.” For a tea lover with her whole life ahead of her, it’s the perfect touch for the perfect room.
For Gabriella, getting her wish for a room makeover is about more than a coat of paint and a new rug. It’s about having a space that’s all her own.
For children with critical illnesses, life can sometimes feel out of control. But by granting a wish, we can give some of that control back.
Studies have shown that wish experiences have a long-lasting effect on the lives of critically ill children. Even after the wish has been granted, the memories can lift a family’s spirits for years to come.
Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida has granted more than 7,000 wishes, but we can’t continue this life-changing work alone. Please consider donating, volunteering, or attending an event to help us reach our goal of transforming the lives of critically ill children.
