As a newborn, Alex Chambers had normal Apgar scores and seemed in good health. As he grew, however, he hit childhood milestones late and remained mostly nonverbal.

Genetic studies and other tests revealed no abnormalities and Alex to this day remains undiagnosed. He and his family faced some unsettling challenges. As a toddler, he had a seizure and his mother found him in his crib, lying rigid as a board. He had to be helicoptered to Oakland Children’s Hospital.

Despite it all, Alex grew into a joyful, effervescent boy. While nonverbal, he could certainly express himself. At summer camp, he earned the moniker “Mr. La-La” because he sauntered around saying, “La, la, la, la, la.”  

“He smiles, he claps, he laughs,” says his mother, Diane. “I always loved that song: ‘All God’s creatures got a place in the choir. Some sing low, and some sing higher, some just clap their hands or paws or anything they’ve got.’ And that’s Alex.”

In 2003, when Alex was a teen, he developed a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy. The day after Thanksgiving, doctors said he might not live to celebrate Christmas.  

But the boy with the broad smile and bright spirit recovered. Meanwhile, his pediatric cardiologist referred him to Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area for a wish. “A lovely lady interviewed us and, of course, she ran into the problem that Alex doesn’t really speak a lot,” says Alex’s father, Frank. 

Then the wish granting volunteer, Dusty Dennis, saw Alex’s bedroom, chock-a-block with Disney characters. “The thing that helped to convince Make-A-Wish that Alex was a Disney person was seeing his toys, seeing his videos, hearing his music,” Frank says.  

When Alex was well enough, he and his family were whisked off to Disney World, where they received special kindnesses. At Hard Rock Cafe, the line was out the door. But when staff found out that Alex was a wish kid, he and his family got a table right away. “We were treated like royalty,” Diane says. 

They stayed at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, explored the Magic Kingdom, and more. “My husband and I had honeymooned in Disney World," Diane says, "So we could point out to [our kids] things that we remembered." 

Frank recalls one special encounter. “We were sitting in a restaurant in Disney World, and Alex started going, “Goo, goo, goo,’” he says. “I turned around and there was Goofy coming in the room. Goofy came over and spent some time with him. It was a great moment.”

As always, Alex found ways to express himself. “We were walking back to our hotel room after breakfast and Alex began pointing, and then taking his clothes off right at the swimming pool,” Frank remembers. It’s a moment the family good-naturedly refers to as “the palace revolt.” 

Alex’s older brother ran back to the hotel room to grab Alex’s swimsuit. “[His siblings] Robin and Daniel gathered around him and held towels so he could change right then and there,” Diane says.  

“We spent a couple of hours in the swimming pool with him,” Frank remembers. “He got in under the waterfall, and that was a very relaxing time.” 

Throughout his Disney World experience, Alex showed unbridled enthusiasm. “We told the doctor after the trip, ‘No, he couldn’t walk anywhere—he had to run everywhere,’” Frank quips. 

Alex is now 37 years old and lives in a residential care home in San Ramon, where he’s nearly always smiling and laughing. He is a beloved uncle to six nieces and nephews, likes assembling jigsaw puzzles, goes on community outings, and enjoys bowling with his family.  

He often dons his Green Bay Packers cap, including when he visits amusement parks—and when he rides rollercoasters, it sometimes flies off. “The next day, the park will send it back to us,” Frank says. “We’ve had ones come back from Santa Cruz, from Disneyland, and I think from Six Flags.” Alex has also been known to go elegant, wearing a suit for Night to Shine, a prom night experience for people with special needs.  

He continues to love anything Disney—with special affection for Toy Story and Beauty and the Beast—and his family still reflects on the happy moments Alex experienced on that Disney World trip, so many years ago. “It was a time to just forget about what had been going on, to be enjoying the moment,” Diane says.  

“It was a wonderful experience for us as a family and for him,” Frank says. “Afterward, we became more willing to go all out and try to do things like that, which we had been kind of hesitant to do.” 

Make-A-Wish was a source of joy during troubling times, and even afterward. When Alex’s wish granter retired from her full-time job, her colleagues gave her a giant stuffed Mickey Mouse—which she chose to give to Alex.  

To pay the kindness forward, Diane and Frank have been searching for ways to reengage with Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area. Recently, they helped create a video to use for volunteer training, providing tips for granting wishes to nonverbal wish kids. They speak about Alex’s wish like it was yesterday, making it clear how impactful the experience was for the whole family. 

As Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area celebrates its 40th birthday, Diane and Frank believe the chapter is better than ever. “[People] say forty is over the hill,” Diane says. “Well, I think Make-A-Wish is top of the hill. I hope that they keep granting people wishes and being so personable about it. It’s not just about the money, it’s about the caring.”