Wish kid Declan had spent years of his life not feeling well, going from one doctor to the next, attempting to get a diagnosis and treatment for his condition. Doctors could not figure out what was wrong, and he was repeatedly sent home without answers. Declan was at his wit's end, refusing to go to any more doctor appointments, but his mom sympathetically asked him to try just one more doctor. On his sixteenth birthday, Declan finally received a diagnosis. After years of searching for an answer, he had one! He was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal disorder, and so his new treatments began. 

Declan endured treatments, recovery and missed school with grace and maturity. His doctor referred him to Make-A-Wish knowing that his condition often qualifies for a wish. At first, Declan had the misconception that having his own wish granted would take a wish from another child, but he soon learned that was not the case.  

When determining his wish, he reflected on his time at home recovering from one of his surgeries. His family was having some maintenance done on their home at the time, and he had become friends with the contractor doing the work. The man was an ex-marine diver and had inspired a passion for diving in Declan. While at home, Declan started studying to become a certified diver.  

His reflection helped him decide what he would wish for – diving gear! It was his dream to go diving in Scotland and learn more about WWI and WWII, and after completing certification, he would need his own gear to make that happen. On Declan’s wish day, his friends and family gathered at the dive shop dressed in Scottish kilts and decorated the walls with Scottish flags. He was elated to finally have his very own dive gear, and that day, he completed the last portion of his dive certification with an instructor in a pool nearby. This day was a remarkably high point for Declan. 

Though Declan is young, he has experienced a lot of loss in his life, and that loss happened at a crucial stage in his development. Most of his losses were due to his illness such as loss of football, prom, going out on New Year’s Eve and time in school. Other losses were due to COVID-19 such as lost time with friends and loss of a normal high school experience. Additionally, during this time he lost his grandpa.  

“You can look at loss a million different ways, and he’s had a lot of it,” said wish mom Brandee. 

This wish was life-changing for Declan and having his own diving gear was the beginning of something that would direct the trajectory of his adult life. Declan chose to study Anthropology and History with an emphasis on Underwater Archaeology in college. This summer, his dream will be complete as he is making the trip to Scotland with his family and will stay there for the entire summer on a diving internship!  

This life-changing wish would not be possible without Missoula Scuba & Snorkel and Declan’s volunteers. We’d also like to thank photographer Anna Chinikaylo for capturing Declan’s wish day.