Sometimes waiting makes attaining your most desired wish all the more meaningful. For 13-year-old Lucy, that was definitely true! Her wish granters knew how to make her Hawaii vacation – long awaited after delays for chemotherapy – an experience she and her family won’t soon forget.

Typical of older wish children, Lucy knew exactly what she wanted to do for her wish: snorkeling and boogie boarding in the warm Pacific waters, whale watching and swimming with the dolphins, shopping, volcanoes, sailing and a luau. With the expert help of the Make-A-Wish^® chapter staffs and volunteers in Hawaii and her home state, Lucy’s wish trip came true.

Lucy, her mom, dad and younger brother were welcomed to Hawaii with a lei greeting, their first taste of the islands’ famous Aloha spirit. It wasn’t long before the family headed for the one of Hawaii’s inviting beaches, but first they took a little side trip for Lucy’s first purchase – a pink tankini with matching wrap-around skirt – to enjoy the warm tropical sun.

Besides going to the beach, Lucy’s days were filled with other water adventures, many of which she captured with her underwater camera. She loved swimming with the dolphins, although kissing them is quite literally a salty experience!

She and her family enjoyed many other wonders that Hawaii has to offer, from sampling poi at a luau to visiting the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Lucy and her family brought back photos, souvenirs and memories to last a lifetime – memories of how people living thousands of miles apart came together to sharethe power of a wish^® and create magic for one very special young girl.