DIAGNOSIS: Congenital heart disease

WISH: To go to a Florida theme park

11-year-old Spencer loves playing sports, playing competitive games, and has a positive spirit. He was born with a congenital heart defect and other heart abnormalities, alongside his twin sister, Lexi, at 31 weeks old. When he was just a few weeks old, he underwent his first open heart surgery. Since then, he has had numerous cardiac catheterizations and a pacemaker inserted for part of his life. Now at 11 years old, he recently underwent his fourth open heart surgery. Spencer has had a long, ongoing journey with his health, which has greatly affected him and his family.

When it came time to decide on a wish, Spencer immediately knew he wanted to choose something that he could enjoy with his family. He wished to go to a Florida theme park. Spencer and Lexi have spent countless hours researching all the roller coasters they plan to go on – the wilder the better. “When you have a medically complex child, the whole family is affected,” Spencer’s mom Catherine shared. “We were so happy that Lexi could also enjoy the wish. The anticipation grows each day.” Spencer and his family are looking forward to spending some much-needed time away with each other.

DIAGNOSIS: Leukemia

WISH: To go to Costa Rica

Ava loves letting her creativity flow through reading, writing, painting, photography, video editing, and playing the drums. When she was 12 years old, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Ava immediately began a treatment regimen consisting of nine months of intense chemotherapy followed by 18 months of maintenance chemotherapy. When she was in the thick of her treatment, Ava found positivity in creating a big map of all the places she wanted to travel to. It was a fun distraction that helped take her mind off the difficulties of navigating treatment.

“Travelling the world has always been my dream,” Ava shared. She knew that she wanted her wish to take her to one of the countries on her travel map. She wished to go to the beautiful country of Costa Rica, where she hopes to experience things she has never done before. “I want to use this trip as a chance to be wild and adventurous,” Ava shared.