Hunter, 10, was born with a genetic disorder that causes his bones to grow differently. His illness impacts his daily life and creates challenges that no child should have to endure. Hunter has undergone several spine surgeries and more than 20 medical procedures, sometimes placing him on a ventilator because he’s unable to breathe on his own.

Shannon, Hunter’s mom told us that her son’s fascination with trains, “Started with watching Thomas videos. His interest was then spurred because his grandfather was a lifelong employee of Amtrak. He would tell Hunter lots of stories about trains. They would get in the car and go sit by the tracks and watch trains go by.”

Through all his setbacks, Hunter tries to remain positive. The wish journey allowed him to look beyond his treatments and imagine better days ahead where he’s in control of his own train.

His Mom said, “That is why a really cool day doing this knowing that there’s a whole family of people at Amtrak and Make-A-Wish that support and care about him will help Hunter feel better about himself.”

News of Hunter’s wish inspired communities from Lancaster, PA to Wilmington, DE to come together to make this wish special with Hunter’s unique vision in mind.

Starting with a lively send off by his classmates in Lancaster, Hunter traveled by train to the National Amtrak Training Center in Wilmington, DE where he got to experience what it’s like to be a real train engineer for the day. From meeting fellow engineers to learning how to operate a train in Amtrak’s state-of-the-art simulation center, Hunter got to realize his wish.

Justin Meko, Amtrak employee said, “Railroading is a labor of love for us as workers in the industry. It’s humbling when you realize that a young man’s wish is to experience what you do on a daily basis. I speak for all Amtrak employees about how exciting it was to be able to make this wish come true.”

Hunter’s Mom Shannon added, “It’s been Hunter’s lifelong dream to be a train engineer. To get to feel what it’s like for a day helped lift his spirits and gave him something to feel really good about.”

Special thanks to the Make-A-Wish partners that came alongside us to grant Hunter’s wish. Thank you for restoring hope for a better tomorrow.