A quinceañera is one of the most special occasions young girls dream about for their entire lives. As a universally celebrated Latin American tradition, this ceremonial party occurs on a girl’s 15th birthday and brings Hispanic communities together to mark her first step into womanhood. For 16-year-old Mercy from Herndon, Virginia, the journey to her big day was plagued with hardships.

Cancer-fighter Mercy has endured a difficult medical journey, full of doctor’s appointments, treatments and surgeries. “When I first got diagnosed, I was 13 years old. I didn’t really know anything about tumors or what it meant,” Mercy said.

“They found a tumor on her brain and three days later was the surgery to remove that. After about a year, it came back, so she is in chemotherapy now,” her mother, Lourdes, recounted. “It’s been a complicated year, but we are so grateful to God and everyone that has helped her. She definitely had several guardian angels.”

“What really affected me was after the surgery,” Mercy explained. “At first, I just thought it would be a couple of months and then I would be back to normal. But it’s been two years and I’m still not.”

Thinking about her fabulous quinceañera kept her spirits high. As her 15th birthday approached, the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to host a large event in the way Mercy wanted. When her Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic wish granters asked Mercy what she wanted her wish to be, there was no doubt in her mind about what she wanted: the quinceañera of her dreams.

About a year later, two weeks before her 16th birthday, Mercy had a combined sweet 16 and quinceañera party at The Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

The wish-granting team worked directly with Mercy and her family to ensure Mercy’s vision was realized – complete with the traditional tiara and ballgown dress, the court of honor featuring her friends and loved ones, doll ceremony, and an elegant dinner and dancing.

When Mercy made her grand entrance, she dazzled her guests in a gorgeous, sparkling lilac dress that made her feel like a princess. The room was filled with decorations in her favorite color, purple, including a multi-tier cake with roses, balloon arch and signage.

Mercy’s doctor, Adriana, was also in attendance to offer support to Mercy in recognition of all she’s been through medically. Adriana has referred a lot of her patients to Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic and knows firsthand the impact of a wish. “It’s one of those great feelings as a doctor to make something good happen. Having a wish is having them look forward to something that’s exciting. It just gives meaning to a lot of the treatments or procedures we are putting them through; it’s like a light in their lives. The Mercy that I met at the beginning was a very different girl than I see now. I feel this wish was very important for her because it gave her something to put her mind to, focus on and plan for. I think she was missing that.”

Mercy’s favorite activity is dancing. She and her court had so much fun getting down to Mercy’s favorite rock and metal songs after some special dances with her mom, dad, and stepfather, but Adriana looked on with a special sense of pride. “The first time I met Mercy, I asked her: with this treatment, what was something that she missed the most, or wanted to do. She told me that it was dancing. She had difficulties with her balance, so dancing was not possible at the time. To me, seeing her dance for her birthday is a big step in the right direction and a great achievement for her. It just fills my heart with joy.”

As Mercy and her court danced the night away, she was able to let loose and leave all her worries behind, even if just for a moment. “I feel very happy that she can live her dream and she has this memory of a beautiful party just how she wanted,” Lourdes said. “She is no longer a little girl – she’s becoming a young woman. But to me, she will always be my little girl.”

With memories of a quinceañera that exceeded all her expectations, the party will continue to be a source of hope and positivity for Mercy as she continues her cancer battle. “Sometimes I’m just scared that the tumor will come back someday when I’m finished with chemo,” she said. Although, if it does, Mercy knows her renewed strength from her wish can carry her through again. “I’m ready for it,” she said.

A special thank you to The Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, Belinda’s Cake Shop, Carried Away Florists & Events, photographer Peter Rice, and videographer Red Hill Productions for making Mercy’s special night unforgettable.