Make-A-Wish New Jersey Surprises Eight-Year-Old Cancer Survivor With Wish for One-of-a-Kind Sparkly Unicorn Camper
Violet Will Explore The Country In Search Of Unicorns While Raising Awareness For Charitable Organizations Through Her Travels
Monroe Township, NJ – What happens when a child with a critical illness makes a one-of-a-kind wish for a pink and purple sparkly unicorn camper? Make-A-Wish finds a way to make it come true…and they do it in front of a castle.
On Monday, July 12th eight-year-old Violet Spiliotes was surprised outside the Samuel & Josephine Plumeri Wishing Place, a wish-granting castle in Monroe Township and the home of Make-A-Wish New Jersey, with her wish to have a pink and purple sparkly unicorn camper. Violet, who courageously faced the diagnosis of a Wilms tumor at the age of five, stepped out of her family car and was witness to the special delivery of the brand new camper pulling into the castle property among a cheering crowd of Make-A-Wish staff and volunteers, confetti cannons and honking horns.
After facing surgery to remove her right kidney adrenal gland and a watermelon-sized tumor, followed by radiation and chemotherapy, Violet is now cancer free and wants to be a beacon of hope to others who may face a similar journey.
Violet and her mom, along with her grandmother and their dog Jupiter, headed off to their first camping adventure immediately following her wish celebration, in search of the mythical creatures. She will journey from state to state, sharing her travels and adventures on social media (@UnicornCamper), raising awareness and funds for important causes that have directly impacted her life throughout her cancer diagnosis and treatments, including Make-A-Wish.
“She wants to spread awareness and raise funds for everyone who helped her,” Violet’s mom Jaime shared. “When she was finally diagnosed with Wilms tumor at age five, it was devastating but at least we had an answer. I was scared all the time, but Violet brought me strength. She had an unparalleled positive attitude. I really believe all the support from so many others made her this way. For that we are forever grateful, and we want to be those people for others.”
“Violet’s wish to have a sparkly unicorn camper is an example of how special a child’s imagination can be, and the important role imagination, hope and joy play in the life of a child with a critical illness,” shared Chris Bogusz, Chief of Staff for Make-A-Wish New Jersey. “Kids like Violet have been experiencing the life-changing hope of a wish every single day, across the country and around the world, since the pandemic began. Wishes were never cancelled, because hope should never be cancelled, and our wish kids – kids like Violet – needed to know then and need to know now that they are not forgotten. Make-A-Wish was founded on the idea that every child battling a critical illness deserves to imagine the seemingly impossible, and that a wish can be a game-changer during a child’s fight. We are in the business of providing hope. Today, hope was delivered once again.”
Violet’s unicorn camper was made possible by the outpouring of support from the community, including Hitch RV (Berlin, NJ) and Clear Image (Saddle Brook, NJ), and even a surprise wish reveal to Violet on Instagram Live with the creator of Glitterville Studios Stephen Brown, along with Fiona Gubelmann of The Good Doctor, who both spent time virtually with Violet over the past few months to create the exterior design of the camper, bringing her vision to life. Stephen Brown and Fiona Gubelmann even joined the surprise wish celebration via Zoom and had a chance to talk with Violet after she toured the interior of her brand-new camper. She then opened her mountain of gifts to fill her camper with – each item pink, purple or unicorn themed.
“The rainbow sparkle unicorn is amazing,” Violet’s mom Jaime continued. “It’s a symbol of adventure, magic and childhood innocence. I believe it will bring us joy and family bonding, but also make everyone smile when they see it. It will be a joy-spreader in a world that needs it!”