Chris’ wish to meet Brooks & Dunn was granted in 2005. He was referred to Make-A-Wish® Mid-Atlantic with a rare brain tumor, one that would eventually take his life.

Chris was a social, independent, and empathetic child who exuded social confidence. At the age of three, he would introduce himself to store owners with a handshake and at six he introduced himself to a firefighter at a grocery store. "Hi, I am Christopher John Lewis. I am six years old, and my birthday is April 30th. Thank you for what you do for our community."

He liked fire trucks, NASCAR, and country music. His first words were “My, my” as he sang along to My Maria by Brooks & Dunn. As he grew a little older, it became apparent that he had a wonderful singing voice.

His favorite song was Red Dirt Road by Brooks & Dunn. There’s a line in that song about drinking beer. Chris told his mom, Judi, that he was going to change the line to root beer when he sang it because he was too young for the real thing.  

When he discovered that he was eligible for a wish, Chris looked at all his options: Disney World, Hawaii, a playhouse, and so on. There wasn’t really a choice there. He wanted to meet Brooks & Dunn and to be on stage with them. That was it. He was adamant, and his wish came true.

At an outdoor concert, Chris met Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn backstage. He charmed the entertainers with his talkative nature. He joined them onstage where he played the tambourine during a performance of Boot Scootin’ Boogie.

After the song, Ronnie Dunn picked young Chris up so the audience could get a better look at him. “Put me down! Where is my mother?” Chris demanded. The audience of 20,000 roared with laughter.

Chris lived for four years after his wish. He underwent four surgeries and had a shunt put in. Despite his illness and discomfort, his kindness, positivity, and love for his fellow man remained unflappable. After having a bad day when he felt he had acted grumpy towards the ICU nurses during bath time, he insisted on going to the nurses’ station to apologize. He often sang to other patients to cheer them up. His mother fondly remembers a particularly moving a cappella rendition of God Is Good All the Time.

Chris was grateful for his wish, and he had spent two years collecting change to help Make-A-Wish grant a wish for another child. When he passed, his family discovered that he had saved nearly $500 in a piggy bank. He had set this money aside specifically to grant a wish to an older child who wanted a computer at the Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana Make-A-Wish chapter. Friends and family matched Chris’ savings and made sure that child’s wish was granted, just the way Chris wanted.

His mother, Judi, continues to support Make-A-Wish Idaho through her participation in the Walk For Wishes North Idaho. At the start of one of the Walks, the song Boot Scootin’ Boogie randomly played over the radio, and Judi knew that Chris was there.