Meet our Walk for Wishes 2024 Ambassadors!

Jayden's journey began just ten days after birth with a rare blood disorder diagnosis. Over eight years, he faced multiple medical challenges, enduring six blood transfusions. Despite the hardships, Jayden's charming personality caught his mother Bianca's attention. To distract him from health issues, she enrolled him in modeling classes, uncertain if it would pique his interest.

Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada collaborated with Jayden for his wish: acting lessons. His natural talent reached partners, leading to an extraordinary experience. On wish reveal day, Jayden arrived in a limousine at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts with his family. A private master class from Roderick Lawrence, who portrayed Ike Turner in "Tina - The Tina Turner Musical," awaited him. Acting lessons from Hollywood Access, a professional headshot package from Jerry Metellus, BEST Agency representation, and an invite to Broadway In the Hood's summer session followed. A VIP backstage tour and the opportunity to do the 30-minute show call for the Tina cast added to the magical day.

Jayden's talent impressed the production team, making a lasting impression. During rehearsal, he playfully interacted on stage and even strummed the lead guitarist's guitar. Jayden's mom, Bianca, shared the emotional journey of Jayden's battle with sickle cell disease. By the evening's end, the entire production knew Jayden's name. After four hours of VIP treatment, he made the 30-minute show call, expressing joy in playing the guitar and stage-fighting Roderick.

Though the end of an incredible day, it is not the end of Jayden's promising acting career. Despite his fight against sickle cell, Jayden's future in the spotlight looks very bright.

Kai was your typical 15-year-old kid without a care in the world- a true socialite who loves meeting new friends, being outdoors, exercising, and all things creative. That is, until the day that will forever be engraved in his mind. On August 15th, Kai was taken to the ER, where he was given the life-changing diagnosis: Leukemia. On August 17th, he went back into the hospital, where he was then diagnosed with a malignancy in the blood. He was immediately admitted and would not see his home again for 32 days straight. 

The following eight months would consist of daily injections, medications, blood transfusions, infusions, EKGs, biopsies, and numerous follow-ups with his doctors to keep everyone up to date and to monitor how he was responding to the treatment. 

The treatment is very rigorous up front, but Kai knows that he is getting the best care possible and has powered through without complaining because that is just the type of kid Kai is. Kai is laid back, loves to spend quality time with his friends and family, and loves to make the ones around him feel included. He takes any chance to get outside and play sports: soccer, snowboarding, skateboarding, mountain biking, pickleball- you name it! But above all, he loves to skateboard. 

Kai’s wish is to have a halfpipe in his backyard. He first found inspiration to begin skateboarding from his uncles on his mother’s side, with whom he was very close to. He would like to use this halfpipe to learn and improve his skills and give back to his community. Kai has a large heart and wants to show his appreciation to his community for providing support in his time of need. He wants to plan a fundraiser for The National Suicide Foundation, as this is a foundation that has been close to his heart since the passing of one of his first inspirations: his uncle. He also wants this halfpipe to become a sanctuary for teens in his area who are going through hard times. 

Kai’s wish to have a halfpipe, a place to gather, relate, and simply be a kid again, came true at the end of Summer 2023. The day of the wish reveal was filled with community support – from Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada to Dutch Bros to Omega Ramps. Kai’s family felt they “were truly not alone on this journey.” The crowd looked onward with excitement as Kai began to skate on his new half-pipe for the first time. Those first moments gave Kai feelings of hope and accomplishment. Kai’s father, Jason, shared, “There are good things and good people in this world. This experience was a lighthouse in a sea of darkness.” 

All Luna has known from a very young age was life inside clinics. Her first steps, first words, and other milestones happened in the hospital. Luna was diagnosed with a brain tumor at just nine months old and a second tumor one year later. Despite completing chemotherapy in 2018, MRIs showed that the second tumor was growing faster. It broke Luna's mother's heart to think that this is considered her normal. 

During Luna's medical journey, one of the constants has been dancing and singing to Disney soundtracks. Luna lost her vision due to cancer, so she relies on her other senses. In fact, one of the first stuffed toys Luna ever received was a Mickey Mouse doll, which she clutches every night. It was apparent to the Make-A-Wish team that Disney was special to Luna's family. Luna had heard that Mickey Mouse had a home on the beach, and she quickly told Make-A-Wish that her wish was to dance on the beach with Mickey Mouse! Luna's mom shared, "When she heard what the ocean and beach were and that she heard that Mickey had a "home" on the beach... she told us she wanted to dance with him on the beach for the first time. And even to this day, even though she has had the opportunity to visit the ocean once, she still talks about dancing with Mickey on the beach."

The future is still unknown and bleak for Luna. A dance party on the beach with her favorite Disney characters allowed Luna to forget about the ports, treatments, clinics, and discomfort for a short time. Luna's beach party was mystical and well-deserved. She enjoyed every second, and this is a memory she will never forget.