In front of the camera, 13-year-old Lucio is a natural. In his spare time, you can find the aspiring young chef in the kitchen cooking up things like cheese calzones and ribeye steaks for subscribers to his YouTube channel. Lucio wished for a Macbook computer to make his cooking videos and do schoolwork.
Lucio’s mom said his wish is a stepping stone to his dream of becoming a professional chef. For the teenager who is used to talking to hundreds of YouTube subscribers, he was left speechless when his wish came true.
“I thought we were just coming to have dinner!” said Lucio as he was surprised at a new downtown Cleveland restaurant with his wish for a computer, a personalized chef hat, and coat. “Amazing, I am definitely blown away.”
The surprises didn’t end there.
After Lucio received his computer, Cleveland celebrity Chef Dante Boccuzzi surprised him at this brand new restaurant. He snuck from the kitchen to surprise Lucio and help him button his new chef’s jacket. They cooked together and then shared the meal they prepared.
“The shock and joy on his face when Chef Dante asked Luciano if he would like to cook a meal with him in his professional kitchen was priceless,” said Helen. “Luciano could barely speak as he was still trying to process what had just transpired. That moment is a memory that we as a family will cherish forever. Our whole family was so emotional. What a spark of joy.”
Today, with his new computer, Lucio continues to grow his YouTube channel and has started his own catering business, making homemade cookies and desserts. Helen said the sky is the limit of what Lucio can achieve and Make-A-Wish helped him reach for the stars.
“When you have a child that has been asked to endure a potentially devastating illness, as a parent, you begin to look for any and every imaginable way to bring that spark of joy and happiness to the heart of this most precious gift in your life,” reflected Helen. “Our family is living proof that Make-A-Wish makes a beautiful difference in every life that they touch.”