The best adventures can make your soul sing and your heart race with excitement. And the transformative power of a wish can happen in any direction - east or west, north or south. This was just the case for two Maui wish kids. Amazing Kamalani, 17, of Makawao who fought back after a tumor on her spinal cord left her unable to walk and sweet 6-year-old Cru of Kahului who was diagnosed with eye cancer before he was 2 years old.  

Both had travel wishes but to very different places. Kamalani wished to go to New York City and Cru wished to go to Walt Disney World. Both destinations brought the thrill of a first plane ride, and the expansive perspective a new location can bring. The journey is also a huge part of the magnificent wonder of these wishes. 

Kamalani is an active teenager who began feeling tingling and numbness in her right leg. A year later, a tumor was discovered on her spine and her condition quickly progressed to paralysis. After surgery, she spent two months in the hospital recovering. To help pass the time, she watched the Home Alone movies and fell in love with New York. Determined and resilient, Kamalani regained her ability to walk and was so excited to explore the streets of the Big Apple during her wish to go to NYC! Once there, she and her ‘ohana enjoyed all things, New York—seeing a Broadway show, visiting the Statue of Liberty, and even riding the subway! 

Thanks to the power of a wish, keiki can use their imagination and imagine a life beyond illness. Like 6-year-old Cru of Kahului who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of eye cancer before he was 2. His condition caused him to endure countless hospital visits and medications. 

With his wish Cru had something exciting to look forward to. His wish to go to Walt Disney World was kicked off by a wish reveal party that took his breath away! In addition to all things Disney, Cru also loves trucks and heavy equipment. He was awestruck when police officers, firefighters and tons of other community helpers showed up in force wearing “CRUSTRONG” shirts and 10 trucks zoomed up to let him know he’d soon be going to Disney World.  

The constant throughout these wishes and many others, has been the kindness and generosity of Goodfellow Bros., a fourth-generation, family-owned business with a century of experience in the construction industry. Wishes are powerful medicine that give children hope and strength to fight harder against their illness, reclaim their childhood and envision a brighter future. To learn more about how you can help make more wishes like these come true, visit hawaii.wish.org.