I wish to be a pilot

Maurice

12

blood disorder

A Black child with locks stands smiling in front of large, glowing neon letters that spell "WELCOME PILOT MAURICE" with an airplane with "Prime Air" on its side visible outside, the floor reflecting the sign's neon glow. He wears a brown leather jacket, a blue t-shirt with a logo and jeans.

Diagnosed with a blood disorder at birth, Maurice's life has been filled with medical treatments and hospital visits. "I really wasn't understanding what this journey was going to be like," said La'Shawn, Maurice's mom.

In spite of this, Maurice finds joy in gaming with his friends, including flight sims. So, when Maurice was introduced to Make-A-Wish, he knew exactly what he wanted: to be a pilot.

Thanks to the creativity and generosity of corporate partners, including Republic Airways, Indianapolis International Airport, NetJets, Flight Safety International, Executive Jet Management, and Amazon, Maurice’s wish took flight across several days and three states.

From a behind-the-scenes tour of an air traffic control tower, to time spent on a number of different commercial airplanes and private jets, to a training session in a state-of-the-art flight simulator, Maurice got a chance to see his dreams of flight take shape. He even got his own custom-fitted pilot’s uniform.

“He loved the flight simulator said. He actually got one to bring home and he’s still on it and he still makes us watch him land the plane and he’ll ask us where we want to go.”

wish mom La’Shawn

For Maurice, flying means freedom from the daily stressors of his illness. His wish became a pivotal experience, giving him hope for brighter days ahead.

“I’m free like a bird,” Maurice said. “It doesn’t feel like you’re bound to the ground. You get to see the world from above, what people on the ground can’t see. [To be a pilot] feels good… really good.” This will be a memory that will stay in my heart for as long as I live.”

"This will be a memory that will stay in my heart for as long as I live.”

wish kid Maurice
A Black child wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses stands next to a man with a beard and sunglasses, both wearing airport worker safety vests, standing on an airfield under the wing of an airplane, with other workers in the background.
A woman stands next to a child with locks with their arms around one another’s’ waists, wearing yellow reflective vests with a third person walking behind them, wearing a similar vest.
Two smiling people wearing safety vests and hats, giving thumbs up in front of an aircraft engine fan. One person is an adult with orange aviator sunglasses, and the other is a child wearing silver aviator sunglasses and a lanyard identifying them as "Pilot Maurice McKenzie".
Two people wearing reflective vests look upward, using binoculars. A man with a beard and a nametag reading "Erick," holds large black binoculars in front of him. A child with locks and sunglasses on top of their binoculars stands to the right, also looking upward through binoculars. A third person wearing a reflective vest is partially visible in the background, also looking upward. The setting appears to be an interior office space, with a suspended ceiling and monitors visible in the background.
A smiling Black boy wearing a safety vest and a lanyard holds a light blue panel with the name "MAURICE" printed on it in a manufacturing setting, with machinery and equipment visible in the background.
A Black child and a white man stand next to one another and converse under an aircraft wing, the child is wearing sunglasses and the man has a beard, both in blue shirts and yellow safety vests, converse under an aircraft wing.
A smiling Black boy with long locks, wearing sunglasses, a black baseball cap, a blue shirt, and a reflective yellow vest, stands in front of a large jet engine with open access panels, arms outstretched. The engine is gray and exposed, and the background shows the edge of an airplane wing and other ground support equipment.
Young Black boy in a pilot uniform stands with hands clasped, smiling, in front of a NetJets sign inside a hangar.
A young Black boy with long locks sits in the cockpit of a simulated airplane, looking at the viewer. He is wearing a dark blazer and is seated to the left of the cockpit controls, with the runway visible through the windshield. The cockpit panel is filled with various displays, buttons, and switches.
A young Black boy with long, dark lcoks wearing a pilot's uniform, sits in a flight simulator, holding the controls and looking intently at the monitor, with the FlightSafety logo visible on the simulator's body.
Young Black boy wearing a pilot uniform, smiling and waving, inside a private jet, with a screen displaying a world map showing destination locations.
A young boy in a pilot uniform looks up at the underside of an aircraft wing, accompanied by an older man in a cap, both observing the structure in an aircraft hangar.
A young Black boy with long, black locks, wearing a blue t-shirt, gazes intensely at a small model airplane held in his hand. The background appears to be a brightly lit interior space, possibly an airport or educational facility.
A young person with long, dark locks smiles and holds a toy airplane, in a brightly lit airport setting.
A group of five individuals, including a child wearing a "Wish Kid" shirt, stand with signs reading "Wish Granted!" and pose beside a large, white "Indy" sculpture, celebrating the fulfillment of a wish.
Young person smiling and holding a "Wish Granted" sign in front of a large white "Indy" sculpture, with an "AT&T WNBA All-Star Indy 2025" banner in the background.