For Yaro, celebrating his 10th birthday was an important milestone.

Diagnosed with leukemia when he was six, Yaro had spent the past four years dealing with doctors, treatments, hospital stays and, in 2020, even a worldwide pandemic.

“He went from being an extremely outgoing and energetic kid who loved being outside to a child with extreme physical pain,” said Elsa, his mother. “He couldn’t even walk for several months due to the pain.”

Yaro spent almost an entire year in the hospital – a year that included a pandemic that restricted who he could see and what he could do. But it was also during that year that Make-A-Wish came to him to offer a wish.

“He was so exhausted, so sad all the time until they came to us and said he could receive a wish,” continued Elsa. “We weren’t sure what the wish would be but he started to open up again, and had something to focus on that made him happy.”

Since Yaro loves to be outdoors, specifically camping, he thought the best wish was a travel trailer so his whole family could go camping as soon as he got well.

And got well he did, celebrating his 10th birthday with 8 months of remission under his belt. Because he loves surprises, his wish team decided to make his wish happen right around his birthday to give the day a special boost!

“My siblings knew I was getting my wish granted for my birthday – they are so good at keeping secrets!” Yaro continued. 

“The camper is so cool,” he continued. “It’s super nice inside, it has two beds, an oven, a fridge, a sofa bed, and even a table! Now my family and I can go camping anywhere; but for my first trip, I want to go to a lake, and then we can go everywhere else!”

Yaro’s mom Elsa cannot believe the transition Yaro’s wish has given her son. 

“Even though he has to go back every month for his checkups, he’s back to being the outgoing and energetic kid he was before,” she said. “His wish has motivated him to be healthier so we can go camping as much as possible.”

His wish was not just a birthday gift, Elsa continued. “His wish was a gift of life, peace and happiness. We are so grateful to see our Yaro so happy and ready for some fun.”