I wish to have a swimming pool

Bryce

3

leukemia

Wish kid Bryce

Bryce’s Backyard Oasis 

Bryce needed a way to have fun that wouldn’t compromise his health. 

Bryce is an intelligent, clever, and fun 3-year-old. He loves cooking, meeting new people, playing with toy trucks, and chasing his sister, Lilah. 

This past February 27th, a day Bryce’s parents will never forget, Bryce was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Since then, he has undergone many treatments which have left his immune system extremely vulnerable to infections, and, as such, Bryce has been unable to spend time with almost anyone besides his parents, his one-year-old sister Lilah, and a couple of close family members. 

“He’s a spitfire, so nothing really drags him down,” said his mom, who also noted that a chromosomal abnormality Bryce has makes his leukemia more resistant to treatment. “His doctors were shocked that he went into remission so quickly.” 

Bryce is in remission, even though his treatments will continue for more than three years. 

“Bryce can’t go out in public or go to public pools or beaches or anything because his immune system is so suppressed, so we just tried to give him his own little backyard oasis,” said his mom, Michelle, about his wish to have a pool. 

While Make-A-Wish was able to create the wish Bryce desired for a pool, the community came together to rally around him with the help of the New Lenox Fire Department by filling the pool and Feil Water Treatment by donating the family’s pool chemicals for a year. Thanks to another generous neighbor, Bryce has plenty of pool toys and floaties to enjoy in his new pool which he got to test out on the day the Fire Department filled his pool thanks to the pool party his parents threw for him! 

 

“It’s great to see him have a way to just be a three-year-old."
Michelle
Bryce's Mom

“Since he’s been diagnosed in February we really haven’t ventured out of the house a whole lot, so having the pool has been really nice because it honestly just gives Bryce something else to do,” said Michelle about how having his wish granted has helped Bryce cope with his treatment.