At eleven years old, Stella brings a smile and steady determination to everything she does. Her name means “star” in Italian, and it fits her well. She lives with a rare disease that affects her mobility and speech, but she communicates confidently using her tablet and makes sure her thoughts and personality come through.

Stella has many interests that keep her busy. She loves baking and cooking— especially Italian dishes that connect her to her family’s heritage—and she’s known for making excellent rainbow cookies. Stella looks forward to Rare Disease Day every year. For Stella, it’s an important day that recognizes her community and the challenges she works through with strength and pride.

Stella’s wish is to travel to Italy, the homeland of her mother and the place she’s dreamed of visiting for as long as she can remember. She imagines wandering through colorful streets, tasting real Italian gelato, and savoring the foods she loves to cook at home. It’s a wish filled with heritage, flavor, and joy.

When Stella pictures her wish, she imagines the first bite of authentic gelato, the smell of fresh pasta drifting from open windows, and the quiet awe of standing in the country that shaped her family’s story. Most of all, she pictures all the memories she will make enjoying time with her family.