June 2024

Alyssa is 17, from the Knoxville area, and is diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension. She just got back from a memorable Make-A-Wish trip to the Snake Discovery Zoo in Minnesota where she met the YouTubers from Snake Discovery. Alyssa was thrilled (and surprised) to be picked up in a limo from her hotel and taken to her wish day which was filled with reptiles and amphibians – exactly what brings Alyssa the most joy! Alyssa chose this as her wish because she has a love for lizards and wanted her wish experience to entail the thing she enjoys most. She was able to learn more about reptiles and hold a few of them, too! She was excited to show the Snake Discovery host pictures of her own geckos back home. Alyssa’s second day on her trip included a visit to Mall of America that included even more activities such as Nickelodeon Universe, SEA LIFE Aquarium, and Museum of Illusions. A bonus to Alyssa’s Make-A-Wish experience is that this was also her first time flying which she was really excited about.

Alyssa is in her high school band, she loves science and history class, and she really wants to be a vet for a career. – she has 2 dogs, 1 hedgehog, 5 lizards, and some chickens! Her favorite restaurant is Buffalo Wild Wings (where she likes to order the hot wings), her favorite show is The Garfield Show, and her favorite color is red.

Wish mom said, “This was such a humbling experience. It really meant a lot to watch Alyssa have this amazing experience. Thank you so much for everything. We appreciate you and everyone involved in making this happen for us.”