On a New Path 

It’s a nice, spacious area, a great, quiet place to relax. However, Olivia has a genetic disorder and cannot walk without assistance. This makes it hard for her to keep up with her family when they are outside. Olivia is happiest surrounded by her loved ones and hates more than anything to feel left out.

Olivia wished for a paved path in her backyard, so when her family is out having a barbeque or flying kites, she can be nearby.

Her favorite activities are sensory based: bouncing, making noises, rolling a ball back and forth, clapping and grabbing, so she also wished for sensory stations set up along the path. Now, Olivia can stop and play with pinwheels, interact with a water feature, listen to the soothing sounds of windchimes or (her favorite) enjoy the funhouse effects of a bubble mirror. Her family has plans to continue to enhance the path: a live chicken feeding area, magnifying glasses, an adaptive swing set and a collection of nice-smelling and fun-to-touch plants

On October 30, the day before Halloween, Olivia’s wish was granted. Make-A-Wish Idaho volunteers and staff decorated pumpkins and set them along Olivia’s path. The wish reveal kicked off with Olivia and her father cutting the ribbon together to officially open the walkway. Olivia then used her walking wheelchair for the first time to go up and down the length of the path under own power. She would never feel left out again!

On Halloween, Olivia’s family set up candy stations along the path and neighbors came over for a socially distanced trunk-or-treat celebration. It was such a hit that the whole neighborhood plans to make trick-or-treating on Olivia’s path a tradition.

“We’re ecstatic,” said Olivia’s mom, Kim. “This path is exactly what we had hoped for. Being with family is what makes Olivia the happiest."

DONATE TODAY