Allyson is a very happy and outgoing 12 year old who loves to play video games on her iPhone, Scattegories and her favorite outdoor sport is Basketball. She absolutely loves Candice Parker from the WNBA.

In November of 2012, Allyson developed a rash known as Petechiae. Doctors thought the rash was caused by a viral infection, but after their examination she started to develop bruises all over her body. A series of tests revealed that Allyson had Severe Aplastic Anemia, a condition where the body does not produce enough platelets and red and white blood cells because of damage to the bone marrow’s stem cells. Currently, Allyson is awaiting a bone marrow transplant which is the only cure for her Aplastic Anemia.

For her wish, Allyson wants to visit Disney World.

Get ready to experience the magic of Kids Wish Network, Allyson, because your Disney wish is about to come true!

“We are so lucky for our generous partners who help us put smiles on the faces of young children struggling with life –altering circumstances,” said Kids Wish Network Executive Director Anna Lanzatella. “We will continue to work with local businesses to make a difference-big or small-in the lives of children and communities in need.”

Emily is a very outgoing and adventurous 8 year old who embraces any opportunity to be outdoors, especially, going to the playground and hanging upside down on the monkey bars. When Emily was 10 months old, she was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a condition that clogs the lungs with mucus, interferes with digestion and can lead to life-threatening lung diseases. After her diagnosis, Emily underwent surgery and was fitted with a feeding tube to ensure she received proper nutrition. Since then, Emily has been in and out of the hospital numerous times on top of a strict daily schedule of breathing treatments and using a percussion vest.

Kids Wish Network has been making dreams come true for hundreds of thousands of children all over the world for more than 15 years. When given the opportunity to have a wish granted, Emily’s was clear: a play set in her very own backyard. With the assistance of The Home Depot Foundation, Emily will able to come home every afternoon and play outdoors for hours.

“It happened to be on Emily’s birthday and not only did the wonderful crew from Home Depot have the play set finished before she got home from school, they also brought her a cake to celebrate her birthday, “said Norma Christensen, Emily’s mother. “It was such a great day, we are so thankful to everyone involved in granting the wish.”

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for making Emily’s wish so memorable: The Home Depot Foundation and Riverstop Café.

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Every child deserves a chance at happiness; a wish is a way of bringing them that joy. If you would like to sponsor a child’s wish or if you know a child who is suffering from a life-threatening illness and may be in need of Kids Wish Network’s wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004.

At the age of 6, Branden was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Myopathy. A condition that weakens the musculoskeletal system causing progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue. His diagnosis has caused a curvature of his spine and he is now permanently wheel chair bound.

Despite Branden’s declining health, he is a fun, smart and caring young man. He loves to laugh and try new things. His favorite sport is football. He loves everything about the sport, right down to collecting football cards.

Branden loves football so much that for his wish he wants Nebraska Football season tickets!

Vanessa is a very loving and caring 17-year-old who loves art, jewelry and the color pink. Her favorite thing to collect is Hello Kitty and Mickey Mouse Memorabilia. She loves to get dressed up in nice clothing and go out to eat, especially for Chinese food. Above all, Kimberly loves visiting the Disney store.

Vanessa, born premature, at just 30 weeks, suffers from a seizure disorder and as a result is developmentally delayed. She started having seizures when she was only a few months and was actually diagnosed with a seizure disorder at the age of 2. At 17, due to her seizures, Vanessa has the mental capacity of a 10 year old and needs help performing her daily tasks. However, she is still able to attend a half day of regular classes and half day of special education classes.

For her wish, Vanessa wants to visit Disney World. Get ready to say hello to Mickey Mouse and experience the magic of Kids Wish Network, Vanessa, because your wish is about to come true!

Logan, a courageous 16 year old loves to play X-Box, watch baseball games, and listening to country music. He loves macaroni & cheese, the movie Spiderman and his dog, Copper. Logan’s favorite thing in the world is to swim; it makes him feel energized and allows him to have fun with his friends.

Logan, 3 months premature, was born with Cerebral palsy, which affects the motor control center of the developing brain resulting in movement and posture limitation and are often accompanied by disturbances of cognitive ability, sensation, depth perception, and other sight-based perceptual problems, and the ability to communicate. He was also born with Hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the skull, which resulted in a shunt placement. Consequently, his shunt placement caused a life threatening infection which required over 43 surgeries to save his life.

For his wish, Logan wants a swimming pool. Get ready for your very own swimming pool, Logan because your wish is about to come true.

Bryce is a brave and phenomenal three year old who loves food, carnivals and socializing. He is a very warm, likeable and intelligent little guy. His family calls him the “miracle baby” due to what he has had to endure in his short life. For his wish, he wants to visit Disneyland.

Born 15 weeks premature, Bryce was born with a vast array of medical conditions including but not limited to chronic lung disease, partial blindness, hydrocephalus and hypothyroidism. From the time he was born until 2 years of age, he was on a ventilator as well as a feeding tube. He has had several complications due to his feeding tube including the rupturing of a tube in his stomach causing him to be flighted to a Children’s Hospital equipped to help him by performing immediate surgery. He has had several complications due to his illnesses, being hospitalized several times due to MRSA and Pneumonia. Due to the ventilator and feeding tube, Bryce has developmental delays and has to go to speech therapy. He has to have daily breathing treatments as well as keep oxygen on standby.

Despite constant medical battles, Bryce still embraces life and keeps his spirits up. He loves to play with his big sister and is such a joy and inspiration to be around. For his wish, he wants to visit Disneyland! Get ready to experience the magic of Kids Wish Network, Bryce, because your wish is about to come true!

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“Making dreams come true for children struggling with life threatening illnesses gives them hope and bright, new memories that help them through painful treatments and long hospitalizations. With the generous support of donors and partner organizations like the New York Yankees, we are able to make a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of children every year,” said Anna Lanzatella, Executive Director of the Kids Wish Network.

Twelve year old Bailey’s dream has always been to play baseball for his favorite team, the New York Yankees. He’s maintained this dream despite having cystic fibrosis, a condition that clogs the lungs and leads to life threatening lung infections.

As an infant, Bailey suffered frequently from bouts of pneumonia and his doctors suspected an underlying condition; Bailey tested positive for cystic fibrosis. He frequently suffers from a variety of serious lung infections and is treated with a percussion vest and daily medications. He was also recently diagnosed with a pseudomonas infection and the cystic fibrosis puts such a strain on his immune system that he is having a hard time fighting the bacteria, even with treatments.

When Bailey was given the chance to have a wish granted through Kids Wish Network,  he knew without hesitation exactly what he wanted: to meet the Yankees in person.

For his wish, Kids Wish Network arranged an all expenses paid trip from Syracuse to New York City for Bailey and his family that included a stay at the luxurious Roosevelt Hotel NYC, dinners at Pershing Square Restaurant and Serendipity3, along with tickets to the Yankees’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Bailey arrived at Yankee Stadium in a limousine and was given a personal tour of the stadium and the museum before being taken down onto the field to meet the team during warm-ups. Bailey warmed right up to the friendly players and loved talking all things baseball with them. Bailey was invited into the dugout and spent a long time chatting with second baseman Robinson Canó and center fielder Brett Gardner.

“They were just amazing,” said Bailey’s mother, Dionne Carpenter. “They talked to him about switch hitting and they really made a positive impact on him by inspiring him to fulfill his dream of being a Yankees player, even with his illness.”

The Yankees gave Bailey two signed baseballs and a bunch of Yankees gear; he could not stop smiling. It was the perfect ending to his wish when he watched the Yankees take the field for the big game and conquer the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since his return home, Bailey talks of nothing but his meeting with the Yankees.

“Kids Wish Network made my child so immensely happy,” said Dionne. “I had tears in my eyes to see him so happy in the dugout. I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve given him. He’ll never forget it.”

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for making Bailey’s wish so spectacular: New York Yankees, Roosevelt Hotel NYC, Pershing Square Restaurant, US Limousine, and Serendipity3.

For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit www.kidswishnetwork.org.

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Every child deserves a chance at happiness; a wish is a way of bringing them that joy. If you would like to sponsor a child’s wish or if you know a child who is suffering from a life-threatening illness and may be in need of Kids Wish Network’s wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004.

Frankie is a smart teen who loves the outdoors. He’s a Boy Scout and he enjoys soccer. He’s also a big WWE wrestling fan and his favorite wrestler is Sheamus. Nothing gets him down, not even his illnesses.

By the time he was 2 years old, Frankie was diagnosed with leukemia and treated with full body radiation several times. He also suffers from cataracts and has endured several surgeries on both eyes that have kept him out of school a lot. Frankie was recently diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1, which has impacted his spinal column with many tumors, causing severe pain. He’s had 4 surgeries to remove the tumors and he has regular MRIs done to monitor his condition.

Despite all of the pain and discomfort he deals with daily, Frankie rarely complains and his dad said that Frankie is his hero. For his wish, Frankie wants to meet his favorite WWE Superstar, Sheamus. Get ready to experience the magic of Kids Wish Network, Frankie, because your wish is about to come true!

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A fun-loving little 4 year old, Philip doesn’t let anything stop him, not even the 4 holes in his heart.

Born premature, Philip had his first heart surgery at only 2 months old. Afterwards, he was diagnosed with gastroparesis, which is a partial paralysis of the stomach that causes many gastrointestinal issues. Because of this condition, Philip was put on a feeding pump. He also suffers from a number of hip and joint problems and was recently treated in the hospital for a staph infection. In a few months, Philip will undergo another major surgery to help ease his gastrointestinal problems.

Philip loves toys of all sorts, watching Disney’s Cars, and playing outside. For his wish, he wants to enjoy some time with his family while on a vacation to beautiful Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Get ready to for some fun in the sun, Philip, because your wish is about to come true!

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Matthew is a bright teen who is passionate about music. He plays the guitar and the ukulele, and his hero is Jason Mraz. For his wish, he wants to visit New York City.

After coming home from college for the weekend, Matthew started complaining of pain in his hips. A doctor found nothing wrong with him and suggested pain medication. He went back to college and tried to deal with the pain. When he came home for Christmas break, his mom came home one day and found him collapsed on the floor and took him to the ER. Once again, doctors found nothing wrong with him and sent him to a specialist for an MRI, which showed nothing. Matthew was given steroids to ease the pain and he returned to college.

A few weeks later, his parents got a call from the school saying that Matthew had been found collapsed on the floor in his dorm. They took him to the hospital where he was under observation for 3 days. After the steroids were out of his system, they conducted new blood tests and found cancerous cells. The cells were multiplying so much that they were breaking his pelvis from the inside out. Matthew was immediately started on chemotherapy treatments and will continue them for the next 3 years.

Despite the constant pain, Matthew does his best to keep his spirits up. He loves watching sports games on TV and he is working on building his own guitar. For his wish, he wants to visit the Big Apple – New York City! Get ready to experience the magic of Kids Wish Network, Matthew, because your wish is about to come true!

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