I wish to go deep sea fishing in Costa Rica
Liam
10
cancer
Liam’s wish to go deep sea fishing reels in much needed hope
No parents ever expect to spend years in hospital rooms, holding their breath over their child’s test results and treatments. And no child expects to miss out on making friends at school or playing sports because of an illness.
But for 10-year-old Liam and his family, this became their reality.
When Liam was diagnosed with cancer, everything changed. His childhood quickly filled with years of intense chemotherapy, steroid treatments, and a departure from the life he knew. A cyst on his lung caused it to collapse, leading to surgery for its removal.
Amid all the struggling, there were a few things that gave Liam hope: his doctors, his family and YouTube videos of other children receiving life-changing wishes from Make-A-Wish.
“When we heard he qualified for a wish, we were so excited. That is the one thing he had been planning since his diagnosis,” said his mom, Ashley.
An “adrenaline junkie” at heart, Liam knew his wish would be packed with adventure.
After brainstorming with his wish granters, he landed on the perfect wish: deep sea fishing in Costa Rica. Liam grew up learning to fish with his dad, and now they’d get to experience a new adventure together on the open ocean.
“I caught a two-foot-long fish!” exclaimed Liam with a grin. And that was only the beginning. Jet skiing, zip lining, horseback riding, white water rafting, even scuba diving practice in the pool turn the trip into a whirlwind of excitement.
For Liam’s parents, the wish trip was a chance to finally get away from all the stresses of treatment the “what if’s” that come with battling cancer, and regain a sense of normalcy back in their lives.
"You don't know how it's all going to turn out. And it's scary, you know, to watch your kid go through that,” said Ashley. “Seeing him happy and being a normal little boy was awesome.”
“Even the people we met on the excursions made him feel super special,” added his dad, Brian. “He was the star of the attraction.”
One of the trip’s most magical moments came during a sunset cruise, when a pod of dolphins swam alongside their boat. For a family who had been navigating through uncertain waters for so long, it felt like a chance to exhale.
His wish honestly gave him so much hope through a lot of hard times and something to look forward to.
Ashley, Wish Mom
Brian held back tears as he added, “We're beyond thankful. It takes a lot of individual donors who are very caring, kind and thoughtful, and so we just are very grateful. "
Today, Liam is back in school, eager to start fifth grade with his friends. He’s growing stronger each day since ringing the bell, marking the end of his cancer treatment. He is even back to playing his favorite sports like tennis and football, making new memories as endless as the ocean where his wish came true.