Kyleigh's Encanto-Themed Playhouse

10-year-old Kyleigh was born eight weeks early and diagnosed with a nervous system disorder when she was just a baby. She has had seven surgeries, and she uses a walker. Kyleigh’s medical journey certainly hasn’t been easy, but she has a zest for life that delights and inspires everyone she meets.

Kyleigh’s mom Shelbi referred her to Make-A-Wish, and soon enough, she was telling Kyleigh all about the organization and how she could wish for anything her heart desired. Kyleigh loves plants and flowers and knew she wanted to have a custom greenhouse in her backyard. She and her parents had several design meetings with Wish to Play—our partner organization that builds custom playhouses for wish kids—and during one of the meetings, Kyleigh talked about her favorite movie, Encanto.

“Encanto was really inspiring to me because the main character is a lot different than her family, like I am. It inspired me to take adventures and always feel appreciated, even if I have something different than the other kids,” she shared.

Wish to Play took that information and ran with it, and soon enough, they created blueprints of an Encanto-themed playhouse with a greenhouse attached for Kyleigh to review. She loved the idea and told Wish to Play that she wanted the structure to be colorful, full of plants and comfortable. With that information and Kyleigh's wish list, Wish to Play quickly laid the plans for the structure and began construction. Soon enough—more than a month ahead of schedule—the playhouse was ready, and Kyleigh hadn’t been let in on the secret.

As Shelbi led her into the backyard, Kyleigh’s face lit up with delight and surprise.

“I was shocked when I saw it. I love it. It’s exactly how I wanted it to look!” she exclaimed.

The playhouse was bright, colorful and stocked with her favorite things. It had a lush moss wall, air conditioning, a desk where she could draw or do homework and a greenhouse full of beautiful flowers and plants. Encanto-themed toys and games were sprinkled throughout the playhouse. Kyleigh couldn’t believe it was all for her!

Kyleigh adores her new playhouse. It’s a place where she can rest, play, reflect and escape from the challenges of her critical illness—a wish come true.

“It means whole lot to me because Make-A-Wish chose to do this for me. Without them, I wouldn’t have had this," she said.