Wish kid Cole’s wish came true in 2022 when he traveled to Seattle to meet the Seahawks, a moment that arrived at exactly the right time. His wish experience marked the end of his leukemia treatment and became a powerful celebration after a season of uncertainty and isolation.

In this first episode of Because of a Wish, Cole is joined by his parents, Devon and Justin, and sister, Drew, as they reflect on what the wish meant to their family. Together, they share photos, videos, favorite meals, and meaningful moments from their unforgettable trip to the Pacific Northwest.

Because of a Wish is a podcast from Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas that brings viewers into the heart of our wish community. Each episode features an inspiring story from wish families, volunteers, medical partners, and supporters whose lives have been shaped by the power of a wish.

Through honest conversations and behind the scenes insights, Because of a Wish highlights the hope, strength, and joy that wishes create across Central and South Texas.

Transcript: 

Christina Snell: 
Hi everybody. I’m Christina Snell. I’m the chief mission officer here at Make-A-Wish Central and South Texas. 

Justin (wish dad):  
I’m Justin Spencer. I’m Cole and Drew’s dad. 

Devon (wish mom):  
I’m Devon. I’m Cole and Drew’s mom. 

Drew (wish sister):  
I’m Drew. I’m a Cole sister. 

Cole (wish kid):  
I’m Cole Spencer. 

Christina Snell: 
Very nice. Wish kid extraordinaire. Right. Well, we’re so excited to have you guys. I’m so thrilled for you to spend this time just to get to know you and hear your story. What we love to do is to have our family share the impact of your journey that you’ve been on through your time through the Make-A-Wish experience. 

And so I guess we’ll start with you, Mr. VIP. Do you want to tell us a little bit about yourself? Kind of just light things just like what are your hobbies? What do you like to do for fun? What do you do when you’re home around your friends? 

Cole (wish kid):  
Yeah, I like to honestly just hang out with my friends and play games with them, video games, etc. I guess normal stuff. 

Christina Snell: 
Yeah. Yeah. Do you guys agree that’s what he likes to do? 

Family: 
Yeah, very much so. 

Family: 
He also likes to play with read. 

Christina Snell: 
Most definitely read. Oh my gosh. What’s your favorite book? Are you reading something right now? 

Cole (wish kid):  
I was, but I finished it before we got in here. But my I don’t know what my favorite book is. Genre. Maybe anything and everything. 

Christina Snell: 
Anything. Hey, listen. You’re my hero cuz I don’t. Yeah, I think that’s awesome. 

Cole (wish kid):  
I just finished the first Harry Potter book. 

Christina Snell: 
Very good. Hey, that’s a big task. Harry Potter’s a big task. 

Family: 
Harry Potter is very good. 

Christina Snell: 
Okay. Okay. So tell me a little bit about kind of your experience when you first got the call from Make A Wish and maybe kind of what brought you to our organization. Mom, if you want to just start, that’d be great. 

Devon (wish mom):  
Yeah. We learned about Make A Wish through our social worker at Dell Children’s here in Austin. We were definitely surprised because at the time it was COVID and everything was sort of very shut down. And she let us know that if we were to be granted a wish, it might take a little bit longer than normal because of COVID and because of some restrictions. 

But we put in our request with her and it took us a while to kind of figure out what, well it took Cole a little while to kind of figure out what he really, really wanted to do. But then when we were able to put in our request and then be granted, it was really great timing, I think, for us because Cole had just reached a really great milestone in his treatment and we had all been vaccinated and it was safe to travel and it was just the right time to try something like that. 

Christina Snell: 
Could I take it a step back and talk a little bit more about Cole’s diagnosis? 

Justin (wish dad):  
Sure. Cole’s diagnosis, was 10 days after his 8th birthday. He was diagnosed with leukemia. Which was a big shock and big surprise to all of us. We thought that he had just a mild illness and we took him in for that. 

I was actually at home at the time and Cole’s doctor called me and it was one of those calls that you never expect and they asked the words that you never expect to hear. Are you sitting down? 

And they were on their way to Dell. And so I hustled over there and we learned of the diagnosis and he went into treatment right away. 

And so it was a whole new world for us. We didn’t know what to expect, what was going to happen, how this would affect our lives. But we got into the treatment process and worked our way through it. 

Christina Snell: 
Okay, so we get to the big question. It is a big question. I realize when you ask anybody, what is the one wish? What’s your one true wish? That’s a big decision to have to make. So mom said it took you a little while to decide. Can you tell us about how that felt when you knew you were going to get a wish? 

Cole (wish kid):  
It felt really nice because knowing the condition I was in, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do most normal stuff. So it felt nice to do a really fun thing and get to meet more people. 

Christina Snell: 
Can I ask the one question? What was your wish? 

Cole (wish kid):  
To go and meet the Seattle Seahawks. 

Christina Snell: 
The Seattle Seahawks? 

Cole (wish kid):  
Yeah, we stayed in Seattle for a while and it was really fun. 

Christina Snell: 
Oh my gosh. So what about the Seahawks? How long have you loved the Seattle Seahawks? How did you get into it? What led you to that decision for your wish? 

Cole (wish kid):  
I’ve always wanted to go to Seattle. I suppose it’s really close to the sea and I’ve always loved the sea. And how I got into the Seattle Seahawks is really funny. We were cleaning out the house, I think, and I was just sitting down and there was a football game on. I think it was like the Seahawks versus the Cardinals, some red team. 

And I just said, you know what, I like the Seahawks because their colors are cool. 

Christina Snell: 
That is not a bad route. That’s okay. 

Christina Snell: 
Nice. So, had you always watched football or is there a story behind kind of the time that you had and your diagnosis with football? 

Cole (wish kid):  
I mean, most of the time we were just bored, so we just like treatment. 

Christina Snell: 
Is that what it was? 

Cole (wish kid):  
Yeah. 

Christina Snell: 
Okay. So, you all went as a family to Seattle for Cole’s wish to hang out with the Seahawks. Were you able to go on the field? Did you meet the team? Tell me a little bit about that. 

Justin (wish dad):  
Oh, yeah. It was a really incredible experience. The Seahawks organization. 

Family: 
Yeah, we stayed like a week, right? 

Justin (wish dad):  
Yeah, we were there for I forget how many days, but we were there for quite some time. And the Seahawks organization, they really pulled out all the stops for us. They really embraced us. And we were there with a handful of other families, too. And it was really great to get to see them and get to know them. 

Justin (wish dad):  
I actually become like an honorary Seahawk. So, he so Cole got to sign a contract to be an honorary Seahawks player. 

Christina Snell: 
Oh, wow. That’s awesome. 

Justin (wish dad):  
We got to go into the dressing room. We got to run out on the field. Cole got to run out on the field with his name being called. They had a special jersey made for him. We got to go to their practice. 

Cole (wish kid):  
I still have that jersey. 

Christina Snell: 
Do you? 

Cole (wish kid):  
It’s really cool. 

Justin (wish dad):  
They had us for special meals with the rest of the families. They invited us to one of their practices to get to meet the players individually and the coach. 

Cole (wish kid):  
I made really good friends with one of the kids. 

Christina Snell: 
Did you? Did you? 

Cole (wish kid):  
Yeah. 

Christina Snell: 
So, that sounds like a lot of joy, huh? Like you had some joy intercepted in a season for you that was kind of a little bit of a trial, right? But you were strong and you were tough and you got through it. 

So, Drew, how old are you? 

Drew (wish sister):  
I’m 10. 

Christina Snell: 
You’re 10? 

Drew (wish sister):  
I’m going to turn 11 in January. 

Christina Snell: 
Oh my gosh, that’s a big age. Double digits. Welcome to the club. Welcome to the club. So, tell me a little bit about how did the news about your brother’s diagnosis impact you and your family? How did that feel for you? 

Drew (wish sister):  
Well, it wasn’t fun. Every two people were up from the house. There was only two people instead of four people. I felt kind of lonely. 

Christina Snell: 
Yeah. 

Drew (wish sister):  
Every day I’d wake up and I would just feed the pets. Kind of felt like I was just like a single child. 

Christina Snell: 
Yeah. An only child. Well, I will say we talk about that a lot, right? Like the wish experience is obviously one for the wish kid to have your one true wish come true. But we recognize that a wish and a diagnosis impacts a whole family, a whole community, neighbors, friends, anybody, co-workers. It’s there’s a ripple effect. 

So we love to make sure that the wish experience involves the whole family because you guys are part of it too, right? So, tell me a little bit about the wish to go see the Seattle Seahawks.  What were some of the biggest experiences, takeaways, moments that you guys shared as a family there? 

Drew (wish sister):  
It was really cool. We went to Seattle. I remember going to this really cool cafe that tasted really good. 

Christina Snell: 
Nice. 

Drew (wish sister):  
The cafe tasted good. 

Christina Snell: 
Yeah. 

Drew (wish sister):  
Cafe food. It was cool to meet cheerleaders. Oo. 

Christina Snell: 
Yes. 

Drew (wish sister):  
And it was nice to meet like I got to meet the football team. Cool. And I mean I got to meet the football team too and it was pretty cool. 

Christina Snell: 
Nice. 

Drew (wish sister):  
And then we went to this like seafood restaurant. 

Christina Snell: 
Perfect. Perfect. So, you had a lot of time together. You guys spent huh? 

Family: 
Very cool. 

Christina Snell: 
Mom, dad, how did it how did it impact your family? What kind of memories did you guys take away from that experience? 

Devon (wish mom):  
Yeah, it was nice for us to get to experience that all together as a family. Because of the timing of it, because of COVID and the period of time where Cole was in his treatment, it was very interesting experience for us because Cole was almost finished with everything by the time that we got to go on our wish. 

So, it really felt like a celebration and that part of it was really fantastic. We got to kind of take a breath for a minute, you know, after all of that anxiety and not knowing what’s going to happen and say, “No, we know he’s going to be okay.” And we get to go and celebrate this together in this really amazing city that three of the four of us had never been to before. 

And do something that none of us could ever have fathomed. I mean, being on the field in an NFL stadium and meeting those players, it was really special. It was a really, really great time together. 

Justin (wish dad):  
Yeah, we didn’t quite know what to expect. We were given a great itinerary like we had a plan. But obviously this is a new experience for the whole family and we were just overwhelmed by the graciousness and the joyfulness and the love that we were given when we came to the Make-A-Wish experience. 

Everybody was lovely. The other families were amazing. Coach Carroll and the players, they signed footballs and they signed gloves and they gave them to him and the other kids by him. 

Christina Snell: 
Did you? 

Cole (wish kid):  
Yeah, we still have it. 

Christina Snell: 
Oh my gosh. You’ll have to send us some pictures when you get home. Send us pictures of your jersey and your hat and swag you might have. 

Justin (wish dad):  
He had some good stuff. They took the time to spend time with him. During their practice, players would just run up and just talk to him personally and just ask him about how he’s doing and what’s going on. And I thought that was special. 

They didn’t have to. We could have just stood there as just spectators and watched, but they took the time out of their practice and even coach Carroll did just to come over and speak with him and give him a little bit of their time during the game. 

Christina Snell: 
Wonderful. 

Justin (wish dad):  
So, we were able to go to a game, a preseason game, and they still came over before the game to touch base and to say hi to us, which was really, really cool. They definitely didn’t need to do that, but they were so,so giving of their time. 

Christina Snell: 
That’s wonderful. Well, we always say a wish is something that should bring joy, which is check, strength, which you got there and you were healthy and in a good place to experience that as your family, and hope. 

And so the hope in that we are now in a joyful season to enjoy this time with our family and experiencing that time together. So, check, check right. 

The other thing we say about a wish is that it’s something that’s lasting forever. It’s something that you will remember. Drew will remember. There’s moments in that wish that you guys will remember for the rest of your lives. 

Christina Snell: 
So, Cole, what is maybe one moment or something that happened through your wish that you probably will remember forever? 

Cole (wish kid):  
Going off of what Drew said, the seafood restaurant was really good. 

Christina Snell: 
Yeah. 

Cole (wish kid):  
I had this really good like crab and French fry thing. And they delivered like a whole thing of warm butter. And it was so delicious. It was like fresh snow crab. 

Christina Snell: 
Oh my gosh. I’m hungry. 

Christina Snell: 
Okay. Maybe that’s why we’re focused on that part for sure. 

Cole (wish kid):  
It was also really fun to just meet everyone and some of my favorite players too. 

Christina Snell: 
Yeah. And all of that memorabilia you’ll probably keep for a long time. It’s probably very special to you. 

Coley, do you remember running out onto the field? 

Family: 
You ran onto the belt? 

Cole (wish kid):  
Yeah, we did. 

Christina Snell: 
What? 

Family: 
He got to paint on the field. 

Cole (wish kid):  
Yeah, we got to paint that on the field. 

Justin (wish dad):  
We got to run out to the field with like they got the announcer to shout out the names like they do for the Seahawks. 

Family: 
Wow. 

Justin (wish dad):  
It was so fun. 

Christina Snell: 
Very cool. 

Family: 
And all the cheerleaders lined up as they ran out of the tunnel. 

Justin (wish dad):  
And the announcer yeah. 

Justin (wish dad):  
It was like a player out of the tunnel, and you were honorary player for the day. 

Christina Snell: 
Everybody lined up and cheered for an honorary player forever now. 

Justin (wish dad):  
Forever. 

Christina Snell: 
I go back and challenge that. Right. 

Christina Snell: 
So tell me a little bit, mom. How do you move past the wish now? How do you stay involved? What are your thoughts around continuing to be a part of the Make-A-Wish community? 

Devon (wish mom):  
Our family definitely wants to remain a part of the Make-A-Wish community. Cole still goes to see his oncologist regularly at Dell. But more than that, we understand the impact of what a wish can do for a family that needs it. And we needed it and he deserved it. 

Justin (wish dad):  
We want to pay that kindness and generosity forward. Sitting here and getting to talk with you as part of that, being an alumnus as part of that, being a donor to the program and to the foundation, that’s huge for us and something that we want to continue. 

We felt that love. We felt that generosity. We felt that joy from it. I know what it’s like to be a parent in that situation and go through it. I know that not everyone can get a wish, but it was so impactful and really wonderful for us that we want to do anything we can to ensure that this type of program continues and it grows and more and more kids are able to get their wish. 

Christina Snell: 
Yeah. Well, we really appreciate that, and we appreciate you guys. 

Cole (wish kid):  
I’m taking some really hard classes because I’m currently trying to get into school. I want to do more like technological stuff and one of my best friends is going there and I want to learn all the cool sciences and also the library looks really cool. 

Devon (wish mom):  
It’s a big transition next year moving from middle school to high school and then from elementary school to middle school. So that’s sort of what’s taking up our brain space at the moment. Mine at least. 

Justin (wish dad):  
No, that’s true. It’s a big transition year for us. Both of them going up to different schools, getting bigger, getting older, growing, getting to experience this part of what parenthood is like. 

It’s an interesting ride, but it’s fun. It’s fun to watch them grow and watch them change and get to tackle new adventures in the upcoming year. And that part’s really exciting. 

Christina Snell: 
I will tell you, you are part of a very special group of our alumni wishes who have gone through the journey of a wish experience and we’re so grateful to have you continue on as an alumni family to just continue to be part of sharing your story. 

We’re just so grateful that you were able to come and share that with us today. So, thank you so much. 

Family: 
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

Christina Snell: 
No problem. You guys.