When Ricky O’Mara III was in the 7th grade, he was told he only had two weeks to live. He was diagnosed with dermatomyositis, a rare disease that impacts the skin and muscles. Before the diagnosis, Ricky spent his free time on a basketball court or football field. His time being in an arena or stadium quickly transformed into a hospital room.

“I missed my teenage years just battling this disease,” Ricky said. “I was looking forward to going into high school and then we had to pivot. We were fighting for life instead of for trophies and ribbons.”

Ricky endured several years of treatment that provided him much more life than predicted. He said he feels blessed to have lived years beyond his original diagnosis of two weeks, but it wasn’t easy. He lost 85% of his muscle mass and spent his teen years unable to walk on his own.

When one of his nurses contacted Make-A-Wish he had no idea how the organization would help change the trajectory of his illness. When the organization’s volunteers visited Ricky and his family to grant him a wish of his choosing, he didn’t know what to expect.

“I was shocked, I can tell these people from Make-A-Wish anything and they can make it happen?" said Ricky.

Ricky’s younger brother and younger sister watched Ricky’s childhood alter as he went through years of treatment. When Make-A-Wish volunteers came to ask Ricky his wish, he knew he wanted something to help his whole family through this difficult time. Ricky’s wish was to go to Hawaii.

“Just knowing people care is huge. I didn't know any of these people from Make-A-Wish and no matter where I went everybody was doing something to make things better,” said Ricky.

On his trip to Hawaii, Ricky went to Pearl Harbor, attended the Pro Bowl, met Pro Football Hall of Fame Kurt Warner and went to Waikiki beach all with his family by his side.

“After my trip, it just reignited me, it just got me back into good spirits,” said Ricky. “I wanted to live, and I wanted to give back. I wanted to do what all these people at Make-A-Wish were doing for me, for others.”

After that trip, Ricky became an ambassador for Make-A-Wish for several years. Each year, Ricky puts a team together to walk at the annual St. Louis Walk for Wishes to raise awareness about the impact Make-A-Wish has on the families they serve.

He is still living with dermatomyositis but has dedicated his life to giving back. After his wish visit, he became a mentor and swim coach at the YMCA in St. Charles, Missouri. He said he was able to use his experience with his illness to help other kids get through their own battles.

“Make-A-Wish became a big part of me wanting to help others to achieve their goals,” said Ricky. “Without Make-A-Wish, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve life accomplishments like graduating high school and college but most importantly getting married to my wife Trish. The impacts of Make-A-Wish are lifelong!”

It’s been 25 years from Ricky’s diagnosis, and he continues to tell his powerful story whenever he can.