I wish to have a quinceañera
Emely
15
leukemia
Emely's wish to have a quinceañera
Emely's wish to have a quinceañera was granted on December 4, 2021.
On December 4, 2019, Emely was diagnosed with leukemia. Her world instantly changed. She spent six months under cold sterile lights in the hospital apart from most of her family. She was often worried and tired. Through her battle with cancer she realized that what matters to her most is her family and she missed them terribly during her illness.
When Make-A-Wish entered her life, a wish gave her the opportunity to dream of what her heart most desired. Emely felt that more than anything she wanted to celebrate life with her family. She wished to have a quinceañera on December 4, 2021, and she began to look forward with happiness as she planned party details and picked out a billowing red gown that made her feel like a princess.
Emely and her mother cry happy tears as they dance.
At her wish party, Emely celebrated her 15th birthday and coming of age with her family, but most importantly she changed the significance of the date that had become a negative hallmark in her life. Under glittering lights in a room bedazzled with gold and red, she took great joy in celebrating her culture with her Damas and Chambelanes in traditional dances that represented her beliefs, values, and relationships. Emely's most special moment was sharing a dance with her mother - her closest friend and supporter. Tears flowed down their faces and they swayed together and let the past - and cancer - fade away.
A week later, Emely recalled her wish with fondness. She said, "Thank you so much for everything. I don’t know how to appreciate everything more. I really am so happy and I had a fantastic time. I’m happy that I could spend time with my family. Thank you for everything! Thank you for making that day the most incredible day of my life! Thank you so much!"
Emely's quinceañera was a rite of passage marking more than one pivotal milestone in her life. She celebrated her cultural transition into adulthood and the date that cancer no longer defines her story. Her wish has changed the narrative of her story forever.
