Tekauri from Wailuku is an intelligent, playful 8-year-old boy who loves dinosaurs and robots. When he was in kindergarten, he began experiencing vision problems and stumbling. An MRI revealed he was suffering from a brain tumor, and he was flown to Oahu for emergency surgery and then to Washington for extended treatment. As Tekauri fought to regain strength and motor skills, he looked forward to getting back to the playful life he knew, and with that came his wish to have a playground of his very own. 

Soon, the tight-knit Maui community came together to help grant Tekauri’s wish to have a backyard playground. Nalu’s South Shore Grill hosted a fundraiser and Honolulu Freight Service covered the transportation costs to bring the materials from the West Coast to Maui. Many community volunteers pitched in to build and customize the playground, including the Rock n Roll Motorcycle Club and friends and family of his wish granters, Shan and Richelle.  

Tekauri’s family keeps persevering and not giving up close to their hearts. And the playground is a direct symbol of this. Tekauri researched many different options until the perfect combo came together for his ideal play set-up and his name now proudly marks the top of his new slide. Tekauri was delighted to see the playground of his dreams in his backyard! He began climbing the ladder, reaching higher than he has in his physical therapy sessions. 

“The playground itself is motivating him to push harder, go farther and push his boundaries,” says Tekauri’s mom, Kala. 

To learn how you can support wishes like Ron Ponzo did for Tekauri, please visit hawaii.wish.org.