I wish to have a Golden Retriever puppy
Anika
11
leukemia
A Wish Named Rudder: Anika's Story
At age 11, Berkeley native Anika was diagnosed with leukemia. Her parents, Karin and Sriram, made the difficult decision to temporarily relocate to Memphis, Tennessee, so their daughter could receive treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
During her long and challenging medical journey, Anika missed her home, school, and friends in Berkeley. But she found comfort in some very special companions: the hospital’s therapy dogs. The Golden Retrievers’ gentle, nurturing personalities brought her much-needed joy and connection.
During her time at St. Jude, Anika found comfort in visits from the hospital’s therapy dogs.
When Anika was referred for a wish, she immediately thought of the dogs that made such a lasting impression on her. She knew she wanted to have a Golden Retriever of her very own.
Thinking about her future puppy gave Anika something exciting to look forward to during her hospital stays and remote schooling. She spent time learning everything she could about Golden Retrievers, imagining how she would care for and train her new puppy and even what it might be like to show him in dog competitions.
When the family was able to return home to the Bay Area, it was time to find the perfect puppy for Anika. Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area partnered with an Oregon-based breeder who not only worked to find the right dog, he also took the time to answer Anika’s many questions about dog shows.
"It really meant a lot to us, and especially to Anika, to get to learn more about the puppies, Golden Retrievers, and the American Kennel Club [AKC] Juniors and show world," said Karin.
On her wish day, Anika met her new furry friend, and it was love at first sight. Drawn to nautical names, she named him Rudder, a fitting choice for a puppy who would become a steady source of companionship as she began her next chapter.
Make-A-Wish has truly been a huge blessing for our family.
A few weeks later, after Rudder had settled in, Anika’s volunteer wish granters, Jon and Deb Lloyd, hosted a wish celebration for the family.
“We had a great meeting with Anika and her family and their newest member, Rudder, at Point Isabel’s Dog Park in Richmond," Deb wrote. "Anika is in love with her new puppy!”
Anika and Karin smile as they pet the newest member of their family, Rudder.
"Anika’s wish gave her something joyful to focus on and helped her feel encouraged and supported as she imagined what it would be like to make this dream come true,” Karin shared.
A joyful moment between Anika and her mom, Karin
Anika and Rudder explore the Albany Bulb together.
Anika and her family celebrate her wish with volunteer wish granters Jon and Deb Lloyd at Point Isabel Dog Park in Richmond.
Drawn to nautical names, Anika chose Rudder, a fitting choice for a puppy who would become a steady source of companionship.
Today, Anika is happily caring for and training Rudder, just like she imagined.
Karin shared, “Make-A-Wish has truly been a huge blessing for our family. Anika's wish gave her something joyful to focus on and helped her feel encouraged and supported as she imagined what it would be like to make this dream come true.”
Today, Anika is happily caring for and training Rudder, just like she imagined. She’s even begun showing him in AKC Juniors competitions. The same comfort and companionship Anika found in the therapy dogs who brightened her days in the hospital now lives on in Rudder, whose boundless love and joyful spirit remind her every day how far she has come.
Anika and Rudder at a recent AKC Juniors competition.