Cora loves being active—whether that means playing soccer, taking acting classes, or splashing in the water. Her energy is big, her opinions are clear, and she never hesitates to tell you exactly what she likes.

She’s confident and expressive, especially once she warms up, and her family says she brings a spark into every room she enters. Cora knows who she is, what makes her happy, and she leads with joy, curiosity, and determination.

It’s easy to see Cora as a kid who never slows down, but her story also includes a season when everything did slow down, when doctors appointments, procedures, and big decisions became part of her family’s everyday life.

Learning To Thrive

Before Cora was even born, her family learned she would have a series of rare congenital heart defects. From the start, her life came with a medical plan, a specialized care team, and the knowledge that surgeries and long stretches of monitoring would be part of the road ahead. 

She was born in heart failure and needed major procedures, including open heart surgery at eight months old, along with many heart catheterizations and tests over the years.

But Cora’s story has always belonged to more than just Cora.

As the youngest of four, she was surrounded by siblings who were growing up alongside hospital visits, travel days, and the kind of schedule that can change in an instant. When Cora needed care out of state, the family went together, doing their best to stay side by side through every big moment. Her older siblings learned early how to be flexible, how to help, and how to show up, even when it meant missed routines, long days, and big adjustments.

What stands out most to her parents is how steady the kids were through it all. They never complained. They simply rallied around their little sister, taking it in stride and treating her like the little sister they adore, the one worth rearranging everything for.

And then, little by little, Cora began to thrive. Her recovery surprised even her care team. Today, you’d never guess how much she has been through just by watching her race toward the water, ready for whatever comes next.

Cora’s Cruise Adventure

By the time they connected with Make-A-Wish, Cora had plenty of ideas for her big wish. But the one that kept rising to the top was one the whole family could do together.

After spotting a larger-than-life ship up close, Cora’s wish suddenly had a new shape. She wanted to go on a cruise, and more than anything, she wanted to swim with dolphins. Make-A-Wish helped turn that into a Disney cruise that included everyone, giving the whole family a chance to step into the same story at the same time.

From the start, it felt like a gift for all of them. They had connected rooms, bunk beds, and balconies where they could watch the sun rise and set over the water. Cora’s siblings jumped right in, too, helping her chase down characters for autographs and turning the ship into their own little world to explore together.

Every day brought a new shared moment, cheering as Cora flew down the slide that curled around the ship, dressing up for princess night, and settling into shows like Beauty and the Beast. There were small surprises everywhere, towel animals waiting in the room, 24/7 ice cream, and servers who made Cora feel like the most important guest in the dining room.

“It was nice for her to be acknowledged,” shared her mom, Leandra. “After she’s been through so much.”

And then came the moment Cora had been dreaming about. In the Bahamas, on Blue Lagoon Island, she met a dolphin named Treasure and climbed into the water for an experience she will never forget. The dolphins danced and clapped, and Cora got to hug them, kiss them, and feel them propel her through the water, their noses pushing her along like she was flying.

For Cora, it was magic. For her family, it was something just as meaningful, a week where they weren’t splitting up to handle the hard parts, they were together for the joyful parts, collecting memories that belonged to all of them.

The Gift of Family

After years of rallying around Cora’s medical care, the cruise gave the Sweet family something they didn’t realize they needed so badly—uninterrupted time to just be together.

For Cora, the wish was everything she hoped it would be: water everywhere, dolphins up close, and the kind of fun that made each day feel like a celebration. But for her parents, there was something deeper in watching her siblings experience it, too. The same kids who had quietly adjusted for years, who had packed up, traveled, and shifted their lives without complaint, finally got a season that felt light. They weren’t just supporting Cora from the sidelines, they were right there beside her, chasing character autographs, laughing over ice cream, and soaking up the same magic.

That’s what made it more than a vacation. It was a family memory in the truest sense, one they can all return to when life feels heavy again. A reminder that Cora is more than her diagnosis, and that joy can belong to their whole family, not only on the easy days, but because of what they’ve made it through together.

Cora still talks about the dolphins. Her family still talks about the way it felt to see her celebrated so completely. And long after the ship docked back home, the impact stayed, a shared breath, a shared bright spot, and a shared proof that hope can be something you build, moment by moment, together.

Help Make Wishes Possible

Wishes like Cora’s don’t happen by accident. They’re built piece by piece by people who choose to show up—donors who give, volunteers who serve, and partners in our community who step in with heart.

Because of that support, Cora and her family received a memory they’ll carry for a long time, days that weren’t centered on appointments or uncertainty, but on laughter, togetherness, and a little girl’s dream coming true on the water.

If you want more wish kids across Central and Northern Florida to feel that same kind of joy and relief, you can help make it possible. Your support helps turn “one day” into a real day, for a child who needs it. Donate or get involved with local families today.