Ezra has always been fascinated by science and space, so when his social worker presented the idea of a wish, it was no surprise he chose a trip to Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

He had done extensive research on KSC, and was in the midst of planning a trip with his family when he learned of his brain cancer diagnosis. His dream trip was put on hold, but that didn’t hamper his enthusiasm for his trip-to-be. Ezra set his sights on celebrating his recovery at Kennedy when his treatment was complete.

The road to recovery was long and arduous. There is only one hospital in Michigan that offers the treatment Ezra required, so he and his mom spent two-and-a-half months living away from the rest of the family. All the while, Ezra kept his eyes trained on his wish when he and his family could all be together again.

Nearly a year and half later, Ezra was released from treatment and the countdown to his wish began. He and his family were picked up from their home in a limousine and whisked away to Florida’s Space Coast where Ezra could finally live out his dream of seeing a rocket launch. “He was thrilled…and couldn’t wait to get there. When the rocket lifted off he had the biggest smile on his face,” shares his mom, Laura. “At first we saw the rocket lift, but we couldn’t hear it. Then the sound waves rolled up around us, and there were ripples in the water. It was intense,” she continues.

Ezra was in his element at astronaut training where he successfully completed a simulated space station repair, and tried his hand at computer training. He chatted with an astronaut, participated in a guided KSC Explore Tour, and visited the vehicle assembly area. During one presentation, the speaker gifted Ezra a special commemorative coin to acknowledge his keen interest and participation in the discussion. The speaker had no idea Ezra was a wish kid. Laura told the speaker afterwards, “You just made his day.”

Laura explains, “He didn’t receive a coin because he was sick, or because he was wearing a Make-A-Wish Michigan shirt. It was because Ezra was being himself. When battling cancer, so much of the focus is on treatment. This wish experience was such a joy to focus on Ezra… Thank you [to the Make-A-Wish Michigan team] for all the hard work you put into Ezra’s trip. It was definitely something he looked forward to throughout his treatment. He had the absolute best time.”