I wish to have a shopping adventure
Mailynn
10
cancer
Mailynn’s shopping adventure provides special family time
For Mailynn, 10, her shopping adventure wish allowed her to create a special oasis at home for her and her family. She picked out princess décor as well as several items for a game room including a TV, karaoke machine and basketball game.
After her basketball season was canceled due to COVID, Mailynn was excited to be able to play basketball at home with her dad. It’s been a constant source of joy for her family.
“It was my wish come true to see her face light up like that,” Mailynn’s dad, John, said. “She was overjoyed and was granted more than we could imagine. She sees her wish, and it comforts her when she remembers the harsh process and the road to victory.”
Mailynn had to undergo a plethora of scans when she was diagnosed with cancer, and those scans were really scary to her. Her child life team would talk about the Make-A-Wish prize she would get for facing her fears. And just like that, Mailynn would sit still for the scan.
“When Mailynn learned of Make-A-Wish and the possible options, she immediately became motivated to push through the journey and land at such a place,” Mailynn’s mom, Tatiana, said. “In this instance, it turned out to not be a physical destination; but she arrived at the prize for staying the course and braving the tasks of her treatment. Make-A-Wish also created a light at the end of the tunnel for the rest of our household.”
The radiation treatment needed for her cancer required Mailynn to go to a hospital nearly three hours away for eight weeks. Each week resulted in a new hotel stay and very painful treatments for Mailynn. She had open burns on her neck and couldn’t eat. When she became her frailest, she talked about her wish and the quality time she would have with her family because of her wish. Focusing on the anticipation of her wish gave her hope and strength when she was at her lowest point during her rigorous treatment.
“Make-A-Wish creates a magically sustaining memory that overshadows the compilation of some pretty tough times,” Tatiana said. “The wish that was granted was so personalized and [truly] granted her heart’s desires. Honestly, it is a dream come true for her.”