Six-year-old Emma from Hayward has always been a little quiet, according to her mom, Vianey. But in 2023, when Emma began complaining of daily headaches, her parents grew concerned. “My husband, Adam, is a nurse, so for him… after a few days, he knew this was not normal,” Vianey recalls.  

An MRI revealed that Emma had a brain tumor—and the family’s world changed overnight.  

Emma quickly began treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where she underwent surgery and radiation. “We decided to go to Saint Jude because they specialize in this type of tumor,” Vianey explains. “But it was difficult because we had to move the entire family. And the recovery was harder than we expected—for everybody.”

For the next two and a half years, the family traveled back and forth for Emma’s treatments. “It feels like our lives have revolved around doctors and appointments,” says Vianey.  

Near the end of her first treatment, the family learned that Emma would receive a wish. A vision of her bedroom filled with unicorns and rainbows came to Emma immediately. “I knew I wanted that kind of bedroom right away,” she says, smiling.   

“That's when we first connected with Make-A-Wish,” Vianey adds. “But we had to go back to St. Jude, so we decided to wait to move forward with a wish until the timing was right.”  

During the long hospital stays, Emma continued to imagine her dream bedroom. It became a bright spot during treatments and gave her something to look forward to. Then came a window of opportunity to bring Emma’s vision to life.  

“Her wish happened a couple of months before her second surgery, so it helped us navigate that as a family,” says Vianey. “For me, as her mom, I'm always trying to help her see that even though she’s going through a lot, there’s still a lot of good—and Make-A-Wish is a part of that.”  

With the makeover officially underway, anticipation filled the house. “I knew they were doing the wish in my room, so they had to make sure I couldn't peek,” Emma says. “They had to keep me away because it was a surprise and they were working on it for a long, long time.” 

But keeping her away wasn’t easy. “She knew what was coming, so she started getting more and more excited,” Vianey laughs. “She can be very sneaky! For us, it was amazing just to watch her get so excited about it.” 

On Emma’s wish day, her excitement reached a fever pitch. Vianey picked her up early from school, and Emma was literally jumping for joy. “Obviously, she told everybody in her class, ‘Today is my wish! Today is my wish!’ so everybody knew.”  

They arrived home to family and friends gathered along with her wish-granting team for the big reveal. “Even for us as parents, it was a lot of anticipation,” Vianey says. “By the time Emma opened that door … I’m never going to forget it.” 

Emma’s face lit up to see the bedroom of her dreams—it was everything she imagined and more. “She was so happy,” Vianey recalls. “She didn't know where to run because every little corner was filled with something.” 

The room was decked out with sparkling rainbow walls, unicorn plush toys, and brand-new bunk beds for Emma and her younger sister, Sofia. It even included a bookcase for Emma’s favorite stories—especially “Thelma the Unicorn.” 

“My favorite part is the bed and the rainbows and sparkles on the walls,” Emma says proudly. Her favorite moment? “When they [Emma’s volunteer wish granters] brought the cake and the balloons.” 

For Vianey, the moment was unforgettable: “I think it was the first time I saw her that happy in more than two years. For me and her dad, it meant the world.”  

This holiday season, the family plans to travel to Mexico, where Vianey is from, to visit family and celebrate together. “We live more in the now because we're aware that things can change very quickly,” Vianey says. “Right now, we're just enjoying the time where nothing is happening. We don't have any appointments, Emma is happy, and we’re fine.” 

When they return home, the girls’ bedroom will be waiting. “Emma still talks about her wish,” says Vianey. “She’s realized that even though she's had tough times, there are also beautiful parts, like her wish. She and her sister play in their room more! It's even helped them bond."