From the outside, Kaci Phillips seems like your typical college student—bright, driven, and ready to take on the world as a nurse. But what many people don’t realize is that Kaci has been living with a complex congenital heart condition since the day she was born.

Diagnosed before she ever took her first breath, Kaci underwent three heart surgeries before she turned three years old. She doesn’t remember a time before checkups, pacemakers, and careful health monitoring—but for her, that’s just life.

"It’s just been a part of me,” she says. “I feel like I’m pretty normal.”

While she wasn’t able to play sports growing up, Kaci says that never really bothered her—she’s made peace with the parts of life that look a little different for her. What stands out most is not what she can’t do, but how fully she embraces what she can.

It wasn’t until Kaci was 15 that she even realized she might be eligible for a wish. A friend of her mother’s, who had a child with the same condition, mentioned Make-A-Wish—and suddenly, something that felt distant and unlikely became personal.

As her 17th birthday approached, her mom gave her a gentle nudge: if you want to make a wish, now’s the time.

A Lifetime of Monitoring

Kaci has never known life without a diagnosis. Born with a complex single ventricle heart defect, she’s spent her entire life navigating what most would consider extraordinary circumstances. From open-heart surgeries to living with a pacemaker, her condition has required constant awareness and care.

In high school, her pacemaker disconnected unexpectedly, requiring another open-heart surgery. Even now, as a college student, Kaci stays vigilant. A simple fever or illness that might send a classmate to bed with soup and a movie could land her in the emergency room.

"My friends have driven me to the ER multiple times since I’ve been in college," she explained.

Still, she never let her condition define her—and like many others, she assumed Make-A-Wish was only for children battling cancer or terminal illnesses. It wasn’t until a friend of her mom’s mentioned they had a child with the same condition who received a wish that the door cracked open.

As her 17th birthday approached, that possibility became real. With time running out, her mom reminded her that Make-A-Wish was for kids like her, too.

All she had to do was decide on a wish—a task easier said than done for someone who calls herself "the most indecisive person on the planet."

More Than She Could Have Imagined

From the moment Kaci arrived in Maine, she sensed this trip was going to be something special. Her hotel room overlooked the bay and had been thoughtfully decorated in her honor, a simple gesture that immediately made her feel welcome.

The next morning, she boarded the sailboat that would become her home for the next five days. The quarters were cozy, and more and more guests continued to board—most of them much older than she expected. Kaci was by far the youngest person there.

"Everyone was surprised I picked this for my wish," she laughed.

But any hesitation quickly gave way to something magical. Days on the boat were filled with sunshine, salt air, and unexpected connection. She spent her time lounging on the deck, climbing the masts, and playing board games with her fellow passengers—many of whom quickly became close friends. She even loved helping the captain’s wife in the kitchen, while her dad got hands-on with the sails.

At night, they'd stay up late on the deck, looking for shooting stars. Kaci saw three.
 "I made a wish on my Make-A-Wish trip," she said, smiling.

The boat stopped at charming spots along the coast, cooking fresh lobster over a fire pit one day and wandering through cute local shops the next.

"You become soul bonded to the people on the boat," she said. “I thought I was going to get bored, but I could’ve stayed another week.”

For Kaci, it wasn’t just about the destination. It was about the stillness, the freedom, and the friendships that bloomed in an unexpected place.

"Everyone not knowing each other and then becoming best friends and doing everything together was really sweet and precious."