He is way too used to painful needles and sterile hospital rooms. The surgeons debulked his tumor, but about 60 percent of the tumor remains. This means that he must go back to the hospital for maintenance scans, now once a year, to ensure that the disease has not returned.

For his one true wish, Nathan seized the opportunity to take his family on their first-ever family vacation since he was born, and to the one place he has always wanted to experience - the Florida theme parks! Staying at Give Kids The World Village was a treat in itself. It’s a resort reserved solely for wish families, where Nathan connected with other kids just like him. When he found out there was a 24-hour ice cream parlor, Nathan asked his parents if he could have ice cream for breakfast, fully expecting them to say no. Sure enough, that first morning he was enjoying a banana split at 7 a.m. before venturing to the theme parks.

His mother continued, "Unfortunate events make you see how precious time is. We were carefree for a week – it was very special.”

The VIP treatment continued everywhere he went with front-of-the-line access to all the best rides and extra long hugs from his favorite characters. Nathan and his family explored every inch of all the best theme parks. He created his own Star Wars droid, relaxed in the pool, and enjoyed a feast at Medieval Times.  It was a vacation beyond his family’s greatest expectations, something they would likely never experience on their own.

Nathan’s mother said, “Make-A-Wish opened our eyes and showed us that there is still good in the world. There’s a lot of negativity, a lot of heartache in life. Make-A-Wish reaches out to those with life-altering illnesses like Nathan, and allows us to experience something that is truly amazing.”

Wish Granters: Elizabeth Erra & Katia Rodrigues
Referred by his mother
Wish adopted by Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company