When Addison first began showing unusual medical symptoms, her family assumed it would be something simple. What was meant to be a routine ENT visit turned into hours of unexpected testing. Doctors discovered that Addison’s left vocal cord wasn’t functioning, she had hearing loss in her left ear, and additional structural concerns led to an urgent MRI.  

“We still didn’t think it was anything big,” said Angela, Addison’s mother. But the results changed everything. “They told us, ‘We found a mass.’” 

Addison was diagnosed with a slow-growing tumor embedded in her brain and brain stem, one that had likely been developing for six to seven years. Surgery wasn’t an option, so she began chemotherapy. The toll was immediate and overwhelming.  

“Within three months, it was devastating to her body,” Angela said. “She couldn’t walk. She couldn’t even lift herself up and down from chairs.”  

Severe neuropathy left Addison reliant on a wheelchair, and later a walker. “She was 15 when she was diagnosed. She thought she’d be driving by now and had such different plans for her life, and that’s hard,” added Angela.   

A second biopsy revealed that the tumor wasn’t cancer, but rather a rare mutation with only one known treatment. Today, Addison undergoes MRIs every three months to keep the tumor stable. Through it all, she fought to regain mobility. “She can walk now with her walker,” Angela said. “Compared to a year ago, it’s incredible.”

“Pigs have been my favorite animal since I was little,” she said. When she learned she couldn’t have one at home, she shifted her wish to something else she loved: the beach and the chance to swim with pigs. 

The family set sail on an eight-day cruise, visiting multiple islands before reaching Royal Caribbean’s private island, CocoCay, home of the swimming pigs.  

“Everything about it was amazing! The water was so clear. It was so fun,” Addison said. 

Angela still smiles remembering that unforgettable encounter.

For Addison, her wish meant even more because she experienced it with the people she loves most. “I’m super close to my family,” she said. “It was super fun to get to be on that kind of trip with all of them.” Even at the airport, the journey felt special. She and her brother were invited into the cockpit and announced over the plane’s speaker as Make-A-Wish travelers. 

Their wish trip brought light back into a difficult year, offering joy, connection and a much-needed break from the weight of treatment. “This trip was such a special highlight for us,” Angela said. “After the hardest year of her life, this trip was the perfect way to end it.”