If you had the opportunity to make a wish, what would it be? Would it change if your child had Lennox-Gastaut?
I can think of a few wishes I’d make, but none of them are terribly realistic. I’d like to be able to fly, I’d like to own an invisibility cloak like Harry Potter’s, and I’d like to time travel.
One Maine mom had a simpler wish. She wished for a fence. Not just an ordinary fence, but one that would keep her 15-year-old son, Ryan, safe and would provide him with the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. This fence would allow him to see not just a small part of his back yard, but the whole thing.
A local company, Diversified Communications, partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and in one day—with a lot of help from kind-hearted volunteers—a wish was granted.
Ryan has the most severe form of epilepsy that a child can have. It’s called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and he has had constant seizures since the age of two. As a result, he is developmentally delayed—but not when he’s out in nature. Ryan loves the trees in his yard.
When his mom introduced him to his new play area, the first thing he did was literally hug a tree.
My wishes seem selfish, in comparison, and after watching Ryan’s video, I would definitely trade them in just to see the look of pure joy on his face. If you would like more information on helping the Make-A-Wish Foundation by volunteering, or if you are the parent of a child who qualifies for consideration, click here.
