Thanks to the generosity of Honolulu-based construction management company, Nan, Inc., Make-A-Wish® Hawaii on Friday granted the wish of a 10-year-old Kaneohe girl fighting a rare and aggressive brain cancer. Cheyleia, who goes by Chey (pronounced “Shy”), wished to have a princess bedroom where she could play with her siblings, do makeup, and create art and science projects. Chey and her ‘ohana were surprised with the completed room after she and her father returned home from a five-week clinical trial in New York.
“When [she found out her wish would be granted], Chey was crying, she was so happy. Make-A-Wish makes your child’s spirits come out. We’re so grateful for them,” said Chey’s mother, Rhianna. “[The wish] is going to be amazing—it helps us a lot.”
Thanks to a generous donation from Nan, Inc. and support from local partners like Towne Island Construction, the team at Make-A-Wish Hawaii have spent the last few weeks converting Chey’s garage into a bedroom fit for a princess, complete with a make-up and nail station, a princess canopy bed with twinkling lights, and a sparkling tiara. The room also includes an arts and crafts station with paints, clay, chemistry and slime-making kits for Chey’s other interests.
“It is our hope that this gift will bring Chey much joy and happiness as she and her siblings unleash their creativity in a new bedroom fit for a princess!” said Carol A. Nelson, HR Business Partner at Nan, Inc.
“The team at Nan, Inc. have been longtime supporters of our mission, and we couldn’t be more thankful for their generosity and commitment toward changing the lives of Hawaii children with critical illnesses like Chey and their families,” said Chief Development Officer Madalyn Kenney, who also served as a volunteer wish granter for Chey’s wish. “Having gotten to know Chey and her ‘ohana over the past few months, I know this wish comes at a vital time, providing them all with much-needed hope and strength and giving Chey a space of her own where she can indulge her imagination and enjoy being a kid outside her diagnosis.”
Make-A-Wish Hawaii would like to thank wish sponsor Nan, Inc. for making this wish possible, as well as the generous companies that were touched by Chey’s journey and helped bring her wish to life: Towne Island Construction LLC, Mokulua Builders, C&J Painting LLC, Professional Electric LLC, K. Nicholas Butterbaugh Architect, Inc, Alternate Energy, Inc., and Paradise Flooring Hawaii.
To learn more about Make-A-Wish Hawaii, visit hawaii.wish.org.
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About Make-A-Wish Hawaii
Make-A-Wish® Hawaii creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child’s wish to life, because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness. Headquartered in Honolulu, Make-A-Wish Hawaii is considered one of the top charities in the state, with 76 cents of every dollar raised going directly toward granting wishes in Hawaii. One of the first local Make-A-Wish chapters established, Make-A-Wish Hawaii continues to be among the busiest in the nation. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 700 volunteers have granted nearly 1,500 wishes for children across the state of Hawaii since 1982 and have hosted more than 17,000 others for children around the world. For more information about Make-A-Wish Hawaii, visit Hawaii.wish.org.
About Nan, Inc.
Nan, Inc. is a Honolulu-based, locally owned and operated general contractor providing construction management services across Hawaii and the Pacific. Established in 1990 by Mr. Nan Chul Shin, the company has been awarded some of the State's largest and most comprehensive construction projects. With just over 800 employees, Nan, Inc. has successfully completed over 3,300 engineering and construction (including design-build) projects totaling nearly $5.5 billion for State and City & County, Federal, and Private entities. Much like Nan, Inc. creates and builds lasting structures, we feel it is equally important that we build and perpetuate the “Aloha” in our community by supporting local charitable organizations and giving our employees the opportunity to be active supporters in charitable events.