Briana has always loved to swim. Her family affectionately calls her their “water girl,” and for good reason—she’s been swimming competitively since she was 9 and will captain her high school swim team this fall.

In November of 2022, Briana was just starting high school when her life took an unexpected turn. What started as a standard case of the flu lingered much longer than usual. She started experiencing persistent stomach pains and noticed unusual lumps on her neck. 

After an initial inconclusive doctor’s visit, Briana and her mom, Angela, went to Briana’s long-time pediatrician for a second opinion. Following a series of blood tests and an ultrasound, they got a phone call. 

“‘Please come to the ER,’ the doctor told us,” Angela recalls. Briana’s blood count was abnormal.

It was 2 a.m. when a nurse finally delivered the news: “We’re looking at Hodgkin's lymphoma.” Briana was quickly referred to Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center, where a biopsy confirmed her diagnosis.

"It was devastating,” says Angela. “We didn't know what to do. It has a huge spiraling impact on everybody because nobody really knows what's going to happen." 

During her spring break, Briana began six months of chemotherapy. She didn’t return to school for the rest of 9th grade.

“Her body handled the chemo very well, so we kind of just hoped for the best,” says Angela. “The doctors assured us that her athletic abilities really helped her.” 

Even throughout treatment, Briana continued to swim. She was a few months into chemotherapy when she learned she would get a wish. 

“With Briana, we knew it had to be something swimming-related,” says Angela. “Then, of course, she started doing research on swimming with the pigs and there was just no turning back from there.”

Briana wished to swim with The Bahamas' famous swimming pigs. Once her treatment was complete, it was time to head to the Caribbean to meet some fellow water lovers! 

Briana traveled to The Bahamas with Angela, her dad, Robert, and older sister, Ashleigh. They received VIP treatment from the moment they took off, getting to board their United Airlines flight first and being invited up to the cockpit before takeoff. Upon arrival in Nassau, they checked in to The Royal at Atlantis Paradise Island resort, one of the most iconic buildings in The Bahamas. 

On the second day of the trip, it was time for Briana to get some face time with Babe, Wilbur, Ginger, Pepper, and the other swimming pigs at Rose Island. After a short boat ride, the family was called down to the beach and armed with cups full of carrots and long toothpicks. Then their swimming companions came trotting down to join them!

“In all my travels, I think swimming with the pigs was the best excursion I’ve ever done,” says Angela. "The pigs just swim up to you and eat the carrots right off your toothpick. Those pigs are very smart and well-trained!” 

More marine animal encounters were in store for the family throughout the week. One day, they took a boat ride to another island where they spotted some sea turtles. Later in the week, they swam alongside dolphins in Dolphin Cay’s deep-water lagoon. “Briana even tried to out swim the dolphins,” Angela jokes. “It was a close race.”

They kept busy the rest of the week exploring Atlantis’ beaches and extensive water parks. They even ventured downtown to check out the local vendors and buy some souvenirs.

“It was a good time to just sit back and relax with a healthy kid,” says Angela. “Briana just took it all in. She deserves it.” 

Today, Briana is nearly two years post-treatment and “everything is pretty darn clear,” according to Angela. Briana continues to swim year-round, plans to try out for her high school's flag football team this fall, and is settling into her final year of high school. 

“I can’t thank you guys enough for everything that Make-A-Wish has done for our family," says Angela. "It was just such a life-changing experience. It was beyond anything we could have ever hoped for."