When 15-year-old Ana was admitted to the Sanford Children’s Hospital with a diagnosis of End-Stage Kidney Disease along with a plethora of subsequent conditions, she and her family were afraid of what the future might hold for her. Prior to discovering her health condition, Ana had been having conversations with her parents about her adoption in an endeavor to understand her family history, what it means to be born in Guatemala and grow up in rural South Dakota. Transitioning into 7th grade wasn’t easy, either, as she had to miss most of the school year due to her illness. 

What brought Ana hope during this time was the thought of having her heartfelt wish granted. From the very first day in the Sanford Children’s Hospital, her doctor informed her that she would qualify for a wish through Make-A-Wish. This gave Ana something to look forward to and dream about through her treatments and it even got her through a kidney transplant.  

Determining her wish was tough. There were so many options! While she was in the hospital, she had spent a lot of time watching YouTube, and she was inspired by a famous YouTube personality named Markiplier. He was known for his gaming, animation and sketch comedy content, and his creativity inspired Ana’s own creativity. Ana wished to meet Markiplier, learn more about video production and get a behind-the-scenes look at what life is like as a famous YouTuber.  

On the day that Ana was scheduled to meet Markiplier, a glam squad was sent to her Los Angeles hotel room so she could get done up before meeting her favorite celebrity. A limo took her to Dave and Busters where Markiplier was scheduled to meet her. Ana had so many things she wanted to talk about with Markiplier that despite having an entire video arcade to enjoy, they never left their private room. He gave her video production tips, told her about things he is currently working on and even invited her to visit a video set the next day! Ana’s first day with Markiplier was more than a dream come true, and she left feeling inspired to become a YouTube star someday. 

The next day, Ana visited Markiplier where he went live on YouTube with other YouTube personalities to fundraise for other good causes. She got to sit in front of the green screen with Markiplier, and he even gave her a piece of clothing from his clothing line to take home with her! Markiplier went above and beyond to make Ana’s wish the most memorable weekend of her life. 

In addition to getting to meet her favorite YouTuber, spending time in Los Angeles and seeing all the racial and cultural diversity made an impact on Ana.

Ana’s wish gave her hope as she was battling kidney disease. It helped her to look toward the future rather than focusing on the painful treatments, but even more than that – it has inspired her in her future career. Ana is now leaning into her own creativity and exploring ideas for what she wants to pursue as a career. This wish changed Ana’s life and will continue to remind her that she belongs, she is loved, and she is incredibly talented.