Make-A-Wish Exam Room debuts at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation

A partnership 15 years in the making, Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada and Cure 4 The Kids Foundation have teamed up to ensure every eligible child in the community receives a life-changing wish.

On Tuesday, August 2, both organizations unveiled the all-new Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada-branded room designed by local Las Vegas artist Juan Muniz. The Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada exam room is one of eight assessment spaces at Cure 4 The Kids, several of which also consist of artwork conceived by Muniz including two Criss Angel and Gwen Stefani-themed exam rooms.

Prior to the exam room reveal, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation founder and CEO Annette Logan-Parker and Scott Rosenzweig, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada, addressed the crowd consisting of employees from both organizations, wish families, and enthusiastic supporters before ceding the floor to Las Vegas magician and wish dad Criss Angel.

Truly an Angel

Criss’ work with Make-A-Wish spans multiple years of granting 49 wishes for children around the globe and receiving the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. In 2015, Criss became even closer to the Make-A-Wish mission when his son Johnny Crisstopher was diagnosed with leukemia at just 20 months old. Johnny also spent much of his time receiving treatment for his condition at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation.

A champion of both organizations, Criss spoke of his relationship with Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada and Cure 4 The Kids Foundation before revealing his latest contribution of $100,000, which will be split evenly between the two charities that were significantly involved in his son’s medical journey. The announcement of such a generous donation created an upswell of applause, with Criss himself being moved by the memory of his son’s illness.

“I’ve been blessed with success beyond my wildest dreams,” he said, adding he believes it is his obligation to support critically ill kids who don’t have a voice. “Both of these organizations were critical components of my son’s treatment - physically, spiritually, and emotionally.”

Learn more about Criss Angel’s charitable foundation to raise awareness about pediatric cancer by visiting www.crissangelhelp.com.

From Patient to Practitioner

Mallory Carvalho was treated at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation and counts herself as a proud wish alumna. Mallory was 16 years old when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, a form of cancer rarely seen in someone so young. She is now more than three years in remission and is studying to be a nurse, with a specialty in pediatric oncology, at Rutgers University.

“I was inspired by what they did for me,” Mallory shared while speaking of her decision to become a nurse due to her experiences with Make-A-Wish and Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. “It’s so amazing to be on the other side after being a patient for so long.”

Prospective wish kids are referred by doctors, parents, or even themselves and vetted to determine their qualifications for the program. In fact, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation has historically made the most eligible medical referrals to Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada. When Mallory was accepted and asked about her wish, she was reluctant to name one. 

“I said, ‘I don’t know what I want because I’m going to beat this,’” she remarked, citing a widely held belief that Make-A-Wish only serves children with terminal illnesses.  

“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Scott Rosenzweig, calling the organization a prescription for hope for critically ill children in Southern Nevada.

Mallory initially decided on a trip to Thailand for her wish, which was placed on hold because of travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Inspired by her impending college plans, Mallory then rediscovered her wish and decided on wishing for a shopping spree for clothes, décor, and computer essentials instead – all items she still uses to this day.

“This changed everything in my life,” she said. “I would never have thought I’d be going to school for nursing.” Mallory expects to graduate in 2024.

Adison’s Wish Come True

Event attendees also met wish kid and current Cure 4 The Kids Foundation patient Adison, a 15-year-old who wished to go to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida with her family. Adison arrived at the ribbon-cutting event to show her support for both organizations. Little did she know that same day her wish would be revealed.    

Not even the debilitating symptoms of an autoimmune disorder were enough to wipe the smile off the teenager’s face when Criss Angel announced to everyone that Adison would be boarding a flight with her mom and aunt to the happiest place on Earth the next day. 

A devoted fan of Criss Angel, this wasn’t the first time Adison and Criss had crossed paths. Adison has spoken with Criss on numerous occasions due to his involvement with both Make-A-Wish and Cure 4 The Kids Foundation and having him there to reveal her wish was the cherry on top of their friendship.

Meet the Artist

The design of the Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada exam room is the work of Las Vegas artist Juan Muniz. His Golden Misfits line of artwork for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 caught the eye of Amber Williams, events manager at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, which ultimately led to Muniz creating his first mural for the treatment center with the Gwen Stefani-themed exam room. Juan has since created four more murals for the organization, including designs for the Criss Angel and Dr. Seuss-themed rooms.

The Make-A-Wish-themed exam room holds a particularly special place in Juan’s heart. His niece, Leslie, was diagnosed with a brain tumor at 15 years old and began her journey towards receiving her heartfelt wish shortly thereafter.

“Of all the rooms I’ve done here, this one felt really special because of what they [Make-A-Wish] did for my niece,” said Juan.

Inspired by the hope and joy that Make-A-Wish seeks to create for wish kids throughout the entire wish-granting process, Juan incorporated several organizational touchstones into the mural, such as the golden admission ticket every child receives upon entering the program. He added light rays to represent where wishes begin, a golden lamp signifying wishes granted, and an array of abstract objects (some of them resembling floating apostrophes). These images all frame a TV monitor running a continuous loop of wishes that have been granted to local kids over the past years, ending with a QR code to the Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada referral page for families to learn more about the wish-granting process.  

Based on his own experience with his niece, Juan thinks his artwork can serve as an environmental pick-me-up during a stressful and fearful time for critically ill children facing unknown futures. 

“I just know that, during these times, I’ve sat in those rooms feeling frustrated, angry and helpless that I couldn’t help my niece,” Juan shared. “So, if you’re a child, confused and scared, looking to an adult for help but you’re still feeling lost, why not bring them a bit of joy and happiness even if it’s only through bright colors?” Anything that can make them feel better or less fearful is Juan’s ambition for his work.

Leslie’s wish came true when she met singer The Weeknd during his performance at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“She also got a makeover and shopping spree,” Juan said of his niece. “I was happy for her because she had been going through a lot of chemotherapy. She looked at us and said, `This is the first time I’ve felt pretty in a long, long time.’” Leslie sadly passed in 2020 at the age of 18.

To learn more about Cure 4 The Kids Foundation and how you can help, head to cure4thekids.org.