Make-A-Wish recently honored the memory and celebrated the wish of a brave young girl, Penny, who passed away after her courageous battle with neuroblastoma. Her wish was to make a difference in the lives of other children.

“I would never be able to handle all that she went through,” Penny’s father Jack shared. “We got our strength and positivity through her. Penny was the strongest little girl — she was not phased once during her treatment. She kept us strong and kept everyone’s spirits up.”

Penny’s wish was for a contribution to Tackle Kids Cancer (TKC), a philanthropic initiative of Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health Children’s Cancer Institute, to raise funds for pediatric cancer research and patient care programs. Penny’s wish was presented to Tackle Kids Cancer, alongside her parents Cassandra and Jack, but there was one guest present that Penny’s family was completely unaware of.

Former New York Giants quarterback and #TeamTKC Captain Eli Manning joined the ceremony to honor Penny and the impact her wish would have on pediatric cancer research and care. During his time with the New York Giants, Eli Manning and his teammates granted over 100 wishes to children with critical illnesses across the country.

“At the hospital, she loved helping the doctors and nurses clean and wash her tubes and place a stethoscope on her chest,” Penny’s mother Cassandra shared. “She was loving and happy. This wish lets her help more.”

Penny’s selfless wish to give back will help the medical teams that took care of her to continue their research and patient care for children facing life-threatening illnesses just as she courageously faced. Her memory and legacy will forever live in the hearts of all that she touched.