Daily life for 12-year-old Leah can be challenging.  Each day she undergoes respiratory treatments for cystic fibrosis and must constantly monitor her blood sugar level due to type 1 diabetes. Leah recently started a new medication with the hope that it increases her lung function. 

Leah was referred to Make-A-Wish to bring positivity into her life. When Leah found out she was getting a wish, she thought about how to feed her creativity. Using her imagination to create stories helps provide a distraction from the grueling daily treatments. Leah shared, “I have a lot of characters, stories and worlds that I’ve come up with and I always thought animation was super cool.”  

Leah’s wish was for animation supplies that would enable her creative stories to come to life. Her wish manager got to work to find the best animation tools. She was excited when everything arrived. “I remember the one day just out of nowhere mom saying, ‘You got a package and it’s from Make-A-Wish!’ and there’s all this stuff and my wish was finally coming true,” Leah recalled. She received various items including a Microsoft Surface Pro, drawing tablet, a one-year subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud, and access to online animation courses!   

Leah’s mother remarked about the new software, “She’s having fun with it. Her creativity is always overflowing!” With practice, we know she will be creating amazing characters in no time.  

Her wish manager Alyssa said, “All of the equipment and animation software will help Leah further enhance her illustration talent and pick-up new skills in digital animation. Though the surprise arrival of the wish package made for a very memorable day, the greater impact of her wish is that it will continue to fuel her creativity and imagination for many years to come. It’s exciting to think about how her wish experience may shape her future and even career path, and I know we all are so excited to see Leah continue to shine in her journey to be an animator!”  

When asked if she had anything to say to everyone involved in granting her wish, Leah said, “Definitely a big thank you and tons of hugs. I really appreciate it.