Gavin's Wish to Have a Piano

Gavin was diagnosed with lymphoma/leukemia just before his ninth birthday, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, which made an already difficult situation even more challenging. It took six long weeks to receive a diagnosis, and with each passing day, it felt like we were losing our firstborn child. When the diagnosis finally came, treatment began immediately. We were told that this journey would be a marathon, not a sprint.

That first month of treatment was long and grueling, but Gavin proved to be stronger than his illness. Around that time, we were introduced to Make-A-Wish, and we could immediately see a shift. It became an important turning point—not just in Gavin's journey, but in our family's journey as well.

Make-A-Wish is important to me because it brought hope and joy during one of the most difficult seasons of our lives. Gavin's wish wasn't simply about receiving a piano. It was about giving him something that continues to bring him happiness, purpose, and a creative outlet every single day. His wish reminded all of us that even in the middle of a challenging medical journey, there is still room for hope, beauty, and joy.

The moment or memory from the wish experience that has made the biggest impact on our family today is one that continues to unfold every day. Watching Gavin sit down at his piano and play so beautifully is a constant reminder of the joy his wish brought into our lives. Every song he plays brings back the excitement of receiving his wish and reminds us how one generous act can have a lasting impact on an entire family.

The wish experience supported our family through the medical journey by giving us something joyful to look forward to when so much of life revolved around hospitals, treatments, and uncertainty. His piano became much more than an instrument—it became, and continues to be, a source of comfort, healing, and self-expression for Gavin. It fills our home with peace and happiness and has carried all of us through difficult days.

I think people should donate to Make-A-Wish because a wish creates so much more than a single special moment—it creates lasting hope. Because of the generosity of donors, Gavin received a piano that he still plays beautifully every day. That gift continues to enrich his life years after his wish was granted. A Make-A-Wish experience doesn't end when the wish is fulfilled; it lives on in the memories, the hope it inspires, and, in Gavin's case, in every note he plays. Donations make that possible for children facing critical illnesses and for the families who walk beside them.