Jasper's Wish: More than "Just" a Playset

That’s how long his parents, Lenka and Craig, had to visit him in the hospital instead of bringing him home. How long they lived with uncertainty and fear as their medical team tried to diagnose why Jasper was not thriving as he should.

After a normal pregnancy and birth, Jasper had trouble breathing, and his care team couldn’t figure out the reason. When Jasper was two months old, his parents and medical team made the decision to put in a tracheotomy tube to allow him to breathe on his own, and a G-tube to help with feeding.

When their early intervention specialist brought up the idea that Jasper may be eligible for a wish, it was a surprise unlike any other, and thankfully, a happy one. When the family thought about what wish would be most meaningful, they wanted to be sure it was something that Jasper could grow with and enjoy for years to come. When they landed on a backyard playset, they didn’t realize the impact it would have.

Jasper’s playset arrived on a hot day in July. A team from Creative Playthings came in that morning and assembled everything, while Jasper’s Make-A-Wish volunteer team decorated the playset with streamers (orange, Jasper’s favorite color), brought balloons and gifts, and ensured that the day was unforgettable.

The volunteers who helped grant Jasper’s wish talk about what an experience it was getting to know this family. “If you meet [Jasper], you fall in love with him immediately,” says Randi-Lynn. When Jasper first saw his playset, she recalls, “he was marveling, hesitating, looking around wide-eyed…and before we knew it, this little kid was climbing on the ladder, wanting to swing on the monkey bars.” Volunteer Brenda felt like Jasper’s parents got to experience a little miracle. She remembers Lenka being choked up, saying that she didn’t know if he’d ever be able to do these things.

Jasper almost never left the house for his first two-plus years of life except to go to doctor’s appointments. His medical equipment, along with fears of what could happen and a pandemic that put him at further risk, meant that even a trip to the store was out of the question. Within a week of having his playset, Lenka saw incredible growth. At first, he was timid, but not for long. “It was just so typical,” says Lenka, “and that’s what we had not seen in almost three years.”

As they prepared to send Jasper to daycare for the first time, Lenka and Craig were worried about whether he’d be able to keep up with the other kids. Lenka says seeing Jasper on his playset put those fears to rest. Lenka says it’s “just proof that Jasper is a warrior and can’t be held back.”

Meeting Jasper you’d never know the difficult start he had in life. His family credits his wish experience for a lot of his development. His parents say he is smart, sarcastic, and independent. Lenka lovingly refers to him as a “threenager” and both she and Craig light up when they talk about his “sassy” personality.

When talking about the experience, Craig says, “The fact that he’s growing and thriving and we’re able every day through Make-A-Wish to see it…you see him out there and it’s incredible....We will never look in our backyard and not appreciate how lucky we are. It’s not like we went and bought a swing set, it’s SO much more than that…it’s a symbol.”

Jasper’s family had no idea that he would even be eligible for a wish, but that wish has been life-changing. The generosity of those who supported Jasper’s wish gave the family hope, confidence, and peace of mind. Lenka summed up the experience, writing, “You have given us so much more than you can imagine…confirmation of how far we’ve come, how much we’ve overcome, and all the places that Jasper will go.” Jasper’s sweet and inspiring story reminds us of the power of a wish and the strength of the community that makes a wish happen – from the referral to the wish granting and beyond.