A Soccer Superstar- Leanna's USWNT Wish - ODM

12-year-old Leanna, from Pasadena, MD, has always been a massive soccer fan. Not only does she love cheering on the U.S. Women's National Team, but she also plays for her local soccer team who have become a second family to her.

When Leanna was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, her world was turned upside-down. With the support of her family, teammates, and coaches, she found the strength that she needed to get through her cancer treatments. Her teammates, who are essentially sisters to her, frequently visited Leanna in the hospital and made her get well soon cards. Her soccer coach even introduced Leanna to USWNT soccer player Abby Wambach to cheer her up during this difficult time. They are now friends; Leanna has Abby's phone number and even named her dog "Womby!"

Therefore, it came as no surprise that when asked what she wanted for her wish, Leanna said to meet the U.S. Women's National Team. Leanna's three-day adventure started off with her and her parents arriving in sunny San Diego, where they were able to go to the beach and relax on the warm sand. Given the star treatment, Leanna and her parents were picked up from their hotel in a limousine where they were then taken to meet the U.S. Women's Soccer Team! The players were very excited to meet Leanna and hear her story. Leanna got to join the team's training, meet the players, and become an honorary teammate for the day- an experience she will never forget. 

To wrap up the weekend, Leanna and her parents got to watch the USWNT play Colombia, where they dominated and ended up winning the game 3-0! We know that having their honorary teammate Leanna in the crowd was their secret good luck charm. We are excited to see how Leanna takes this experience with her to her teammates, and we know that she will continue to be the most valuable player both on and off the field. 

Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic honors our uniformed services families, with wish kids like Leanna whose parents are serving or have served in the military.