The Warmth of Generosity: Drew's Wish

Seven-year-old Drew tends to his cozy space with great care. After six months of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery for Wilms tumor, a type of kidney cancer, he loves the empowering feeling of being in charge of this enchanted little world.

Drew’s medical journey began with a seemingly routine illness. “When we walked into his pediatrician’s office, we thought he had a bad ear infection,” recall his parents, Ryan and Holly. “Twelve hours later, we were given a cancer diagnosis.”

“Drew was a rock star through his treatment, even on the most difficult days. And since his cancer, our family tries to enjoy the little things in life as much as possible. Drew’s Hobbit Hole helps us take time to slow down and have fun together.”

Introduced to many classic film and book series by his dad, Drew and his two brothers love to act out scenes from them. “Drew is all imagination. He can spend hours creating worlds of fantasy with his action figures and stuffed animals. When he wondered out loud, ‘I wish we could go in a real Hobbit house…’ it sparked the idea for his wish.”

With a team of professionals, time and resources were generously contributed to bring Drew’s wish to fruition. 

Melissa and Rocy Pillsbury, owners of Wooden Wonders, carefully built Drew’s Hobbit Hole. "As a family business with two boys of our own, we felt honored to play a part in granting Drew's wish. Even better, we were able to personally drive it down from Maine ourselves."

Eric Libby, Project Executive from Wise Construction, led the way with planning for the structure’s installation. “This was my first experience working with Make-A-Wish and when I learned of Drew’s story, I couldn’t possibly say no.  Granting a child’s wish after they and their family have endured through an incredibly difficult situation is just a small way to honor their perseverance.  I am incredibly thankful that I could play a small part of making his wish come true.”

Eric engaged his network to involve Calvalieri Construction Company, Inc., which provided a team to carry out the installation. “For our team, working on Drew’s wish enabled us to be a be a part of something magical,” says Jennifer Cavalieri Coppenrath, Vice President. “His wish was so imaginative and seeing the finished product blew us all away. It is a perfect little escape. My own daughter is a wish recipient, so this really hit home for me. I’m so grateful that we were able to pay it forward."