Before her diagnosis with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2018, Samantha was an active child and a competitive gymnast.

But that October, her whole world changed. “The diagnosis kicked off a two-and–a-half-year journey of chemo and all the things that go along with it,” says her mother, Maile.

For the first three weeks, Samantha faced intensive treatment in the hospital. And once she was discharged, things didn’t get much easier. She faced various complications over the next few years—fevers, ER visits, and many hospital stays.

It was a challenging time for Samantha. The pain and uncertainty of her treatment was hard, but most of all, she missed her regular life. She was no longer able to participate in gymnastics, which was tough to accept. She missed seeing her friends and having something to work on.

On one clinic visit, when she was feeling especially terrible, Samantha learned about a new type of therapy that might help her. A clinician recommended equine therapy—they had seen great results in other young patients who participated in therapeutic horseback riding. 

The new hobby was an immediate hit. “She just fell in love with it,” says Maile. “She loves animals, and the community surrounding it is really amazing and supportive.”

For Samantha, equine therapy was also an incredible opportunity to get away from the stress of hospitalization and treatment. “It was a distraction from all the things in her life that were not normal,” explains Maile. “Even though she had no hair or she was weak, it was still just a normal thing. It was a thing kids her age do.”

While she’s at the stables, Samantha is present in the moment and feels focused. “When she is riding, she can’t think about anything else,” says Maile. “I think that's a real gift for her.” Samantha also loved bonding with and taking care of the horses. “She’s a very caring kid and it was a great outlet for that side of her personality,” adds her mother.

But it was when Samantha realized that she could begin competing in shows that she began seeing a lifetime of possibilities with horses. “It was a place for her competitive gymnast spirit to blossom again,” says Maile. “It’s a big part of her and she had to put it down at the beginning of her treatment.”

When the family realized they couldn’t travel for a wish because of potential complications for Samantha due to treatment and then the pandemic, the next thought was something to do with horses. “We thought ‘Can she get a pony? Is that too much to ask?’” recalls Maile.

It was a big wish, but one that Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area staff members were thrilled to bring to life. The family worked with Samantha’s trainer and Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area program staff to figure out what would work best.

Animal wishes can be tricky—staff members at Make-A-Wish work carefully and thoughtfully to make sure the pet and the child are a good fit for one another. On top of that, the ongoing pandemic had complicated things. “Because horseback riding is one of the few things kids can do right now, the market is crazy,” says Maile. The family prepared for a long wait.

But for Samantha’s wish, everything came together thrillingly quickly. Within weeks, her trainer located the perfect horse to lease—a pony named Goldilocks, or Locksy for short, that was located nearby in Livermore.

“Samantha rode her, and it was as if they were made for one another,” says Maile. “It was just so perfect.”

From start to finish, Samantha’s wish was a whirlwind experience. “For the first couple of weeks, she was just in shock,” says Maile. “It was almost a disbelief. She thought: ‘How could something this amazing happen after all this terrible stuff I went through?’”

Since receiving Locksy, Samantha has been riding up to five days a week. “She just can’t believe her luck,” says Maile. “Every time she goes to the barn and gets to tack up and ride her pony, you can see her do this little happy dance. It’s awesome.”

Maile says that for kids like Samantha, who have been through so much, Make-A-Wish offers a forgotten ray of hope. “Things get so dark and so impossible, but wishes provide a reminder that there is life after treatment,” she explains. “It’s a reminder that they are more than their disease. They're not just a medical experiment—there is so much more to them.”

Today, Samantha has thankfully completed her treatment, and her health is being monitored closely with labs and monthly check-ins with her oncology team. The family is looking forward to an exciting future ahead—with in-person schooling for Samantha and her little brother, and travel together as a family. “We're trying to find our way to our new normal and figure out what that looks like,” says Maile.

And when it comes to horseback riding, Samantha has proven to be a real natural. She recently received two first-place prizes and one second-place ribbon in her first riding competition in Sonoma. “She's really driven,” says Maile. “She works hard and pays attention, and we’ll see where it takes her.”

Thank you to BHM Construction for generously adopting Samantha's wish!