Fireworks at Disneyland celebrate Chazlyn’s healing heart
As 9-year-old Waipahu wish kid Chazlyn looked up at the snow falling around her, surrounded by family, friends, and fellow wish kids cheering her on and waving signs, she knew anything was possible. After enduring countless medical procedures and years of uncertainty related to her heart condition, this moment meant so much. This was the moment she learned she and her family would soon experience a life-changing wish come true: a magical Christmas at Disneyland in celebration of her third and final open-heart surgery.
Wish mom Erlynn recounts of the medical journey that led to this moment, “It was a roller coaster of emotions with extreme fear of uncertainty and a constant test of our faith.” But Chazlyn’s wish come true revealed new potential and hope for a brighter future.
Chazlyn had dreamed of breaking free from her medical limitations and surgeries for some time: “I heard so many stories from my friends and cousins about how fun Disneyland was…the rides, the shows, the food, the fireworks, and the weather in the winter time.”
Stunned from her Aladdin-themed wish reveal at the Hawaii Convention Center’s Winter Wishes ice skating event and the realization that these dreams would soon be realized, Chazlyn was left speechless. Wish granter Shayna said, “When she got the lamp and read that her wish to go to Disneyland for Christmas was going to come true, she got the biggest smile.”
With Aladdin’s magic lamp in hand, Chazyln was ready to see ‘a whole new world.’ Her magic carpet? A flight to California, limousine rides to and from the airport, and all of the exhilarating roller coasters! After soaring through the air all day, she sat with her family under the night sky, mesmerized by the colorful display of fireworks dancing above Cinderella’s castle on Christmas Eve. Erlynn described this unforgettable day as a “Christmas Eve that will hold a special place in all our hearts.”
As the wish came to an end, it was clear that Chazlyn had truly experienced life to the fullest, strengthened by her improved health and the opportunity to have fun with her family without limitations. “We enjoyed seeing the new things that she was now capable of after going through her third and final open-heart surgery,” said Erlynn. “Things like being able to walk around the entire park, going on rides, being able to ride on roller coasters and not get tired or out of breath were HUGE for us. It showed Chazlyn and all of us as a family that all the pain and fear that we had experienced together during her journey was all worth it in the end, because she is now better and stronger than ever.”
Shayna and fellow wish granter Zandra, who remain close with the family, have seen this change in Chazlyn as well. “The wish gave her the chance to experience new things, to have fun with her siblings without feeling held back physical limitations. She rode roller coasters, ate sweets, and just lived life to the fullest of her ability, without being worried about pain and illness,” said Shayna. “After the whole medical journey and wish experience, she had a new life about her, a new energy that she never had before. She was more confident, less insecure…she can be a normal kid now.”
The wish was a healing, inspiring experience for all and will be remembered for years to come as a source of hope and strength—a celebration of how much Chazlyn has accomplished and all that’s yet to come.
