When caring individuals come together to help grant a wish, the impact grows exponentially. Ezekiel's wish is an example of that. When Ezekiel was diagnosed with a brain tumor, his family traveled out of state to Salt Lake City for his treatments. Ezekiel had two brain surgeries over a year while in Utah and was sent home with a vent to use at night, along with a Trach and G-Tube.  Though it was a trying year for Ezekiel and his family, during this time they found out that he qualified for a wish.  This gave Ezekiel and his family hope for the future, despite the hardships they were experiencing. 

Ezekiel determined what his wish would be, and a small community formed as Make-A-Wish coordinated the logistics of making his wish come true. In addition to Ezekiel and his family, this wish impacted the lives of all those involved. 

A wish granter’s compassion:  

As the wish granters spent time with Ezekiel, they learned more about Ezekiel's sweet and soft-spoken personality, along with his favorite toys and hobbies. He moved meticulously as his condition prevented him from moving at the pace of other kids his age. As Ezekiel’s personality started to show more and more, it became apparent that he is passionate about trucks and anything that goes, "VROOOOOM!" He also loves to be active and play outside, which helped him determine his wish - to have a playset in his backyard. 

Ezekiel's wish granters thought of every detail when planning Ezekiel’s wish. They chose a playset with a rock wall that would help him re-learn motor skills. This playset had multiple swings to accommodate his sisters, a yellow slide, and a rope wall to climb. One volunteer built a sandbox and found a yellow digger similar to the one he plays with at his grandma’s daycare. 

Ezekiel had a playset, a sandbox, and sand toys, but there was one thing missing.

A business’s generosity 

Valley Sand & Gravel received a request from Make-A-Wish for a load of sand to fill a sandbox for wish kid Ezekiel. Since the wish reveal would take place on a Saturday, and most staff have that day off, one of the owners, Brad, volunteered his time to haul a load of sand to Ezekiel’s house. Brad not only donated his time, but he also donated the sand and resources to fill the sandbox for Ezekiel. 

It took a moment for it all to sink in for Ezekiel as the shooter truck backed up to his new sandbox and filled it with sand. When the sandbox was topped off, Brad let Ezekiel climb into his big red truck.  

Ezekiel’s dad cupped his hands over his ears as Ezekiel honked the horn of the truck. Ezekiel’s sweet smile revealed dimples on both of his cheeks as he experienced one of the most memorable days of his 5-year-old life. 

Ezekiel reminded Brad of his 6-year-old daughter, and it was tough for him to see a child so close to her age experiencing health challenges. He also felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to be a part of Ezekiel's wish community. Brad met Ezekiel's family and watched him play with his new toys. It was like nothing else he had experienced. 

An Adopt-A-Wish partner’s altruism 

Bristol Myers Squibb, who has been partnering with Make-A-Wish America for five years to bring hope to children with cancer, adopted Ezekiel's wish. Over the past five years, Bristol Myers Squibb has donated over $4 million to Make-A-Wish, enabling hundreds of wish kids nationwide to experience hope and healing through the power of a wish while also impacting thousands of community members in the process.   

Volunteers, donors, business partners, Adopt-A-Wish partners, and many others have a part in granting a wish. Everyone can help transform the life of a child with a critical illness. There are multiple ways to get involved with Make-A-Wish through donations, volunteering, in-kind gifts, and more. 

Special thanks to the following individuals and businesses for their part in granting Ezekiel’s wish: 

Adopt-A-Wish partner, Bristol Myers Squibb 

Volunteers Collette Anderson, Chris Jensen, and David Jensen 

Business Partner Valley Sand and Gravel