Diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition in second grade, Brian spent much of his childhood in and out of hospitals. There were countless doctor visits, long recovery periods, and two valve replacement surgeries along the way. 

But through it all, one bright spot stayed firmly on the horizon: his wish to meet his favorite musician, Ozzy Osbourne. 

When that wish finally came true in 2003, Brian was a high school freshman with a deep love for music. “I was a big metal head,” he laughs. Because of his condition, concerts had never really been an option. But he remembers thinking, if it’s my wish, my parents will have to say yes! 

That wish became his first-ever concert and a moment he still calls life-changing. 
 

Long before the wish, Brian had already been inspired by Ozzy’s Wizards of Oz album to pick up a guitar. Playing music quickly became a passion, and it’s a hobby he still enjoys to this day. 

And it’s not the only thing he’s held onto. More than two decades later, Brian still has the box he received during his wish experience. Inside are the small treasures from that unforgettable day: his backstage pass, stickers, lanyards, and other memorabilia carefully kept all these years later. 

Looking back now, Brian sees that moment as the start of something much bigger. 

“Like a domino effect, my wish led to everything that came after,” he says. “It sparked my love for music. It was the first concert my siblings and I had ever gone to, and it set off this crazy cascade of concerts I would eventually attend.” 

Just a year after his wish, Brian found himself back at Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley, but this time as a volunteer. He helped out in the office, became a wish granter, and in 2006, even became a founding member of the chapter’s Alumni Committee. Later, he returned again as a Wish House intern, eager to stay connected to the organization that had meant so much to him. 

He later applied for an internship with the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the nonprofit affiliated with Madison Square Garden, and close friend of Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley. There, he would help grant wishes for other kids - many of them centered around music, just like his. 

That opportunity opened a door he had dreamt of. 

After earning a bachelor’s degree in art and later a master’s degree in business, Brian landed his first full-time job as a graphic designer in the Creative Services department at Madison Square Garden. For nearly a decade, he helped design creative for concerts and live events, working behind the scenes on thousands of shows, including two performances by Ozzy himself. 

“Art isn’t the easiest thing to make a career out of,” Brian says. “But for me, it had a lot to do with pursuing what makes you happy. I think that’s something Make-A-Wish instilled in me. They help kids continue to pursue happiness through the toughest of times.” 

Madison Square Garden ended up shaping more than just his career. It’s also where he met the woman who would become his wife, Jeanna.

20 years after his wish was granted, Brian and Jeanna welcomed their son into the world, Steven.

“My pursuit of happiness in life continues,” he says. “I’m always looking for the next exciting thing, and right now the biggest thing for me is being a dad. Nothing compares to it.”