Preston loves to perform.

“Whenever I start dancing, it just makes me feel alive, makes me feel good, energized, and just happy,” Preston says.

But his time on stage was cut short as a teenager when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

“I remember my heart sort of just stopping. I took a moment, took a deep breath, and just looked at the doctor and says what's next?” wish mom Gretchen says.

What followed was weeks of radiation. At the end of his treatment came a surprise, a wish from Make-A-Wish Maine.

“Growing up, my favorite movie was ‘Lilo and Stitch’, so I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii for my entire life,” Preston says.

His wish was granted in early 2024 and provided the family a time to be together away from the stress and worries that had become a part of their regular life.

“My favorite moments were just being at the beach and watching my kids play together. They were just kids and enjoying life with the sunset behind them and not a care in the world,” Gretchen says.

“On our last day I got to see a sea turtle. It was hanging out on the beach. We were hanging out there, and we got to see another one coming up onto shore while we were sitting there, and that was really awesome,” Preston says.

“The WishMakers are like the lifeline that has been thrown out to you, and you just know that there are hundreds of people pulling on that lifeline, keeping you afloat. Because that is how I felt, like we were being held up,” Gretchen says.

“I really felt free on that trip, and I just felt like I can do anything. And I believe that I will get better, and I know I will. I will get through this. I will win. And I will live out the rest of my life. I want to travel. I want to dance, have fun,” Preston says.