Some wish kids can’t pass up the chance to experience what their dream job might be like when they choose their wish. That was the case with 13-year-old Carli, who wants to be a lifeguard. She donned her whistle and lived the life for a day in a place most lifeguards consider a workplace paradise, Hawaii.

Carli was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition, a seizure disorder and scoliosis, but she has never let those restrict from pursuing her love of swimming. She was eager to jump into her wish and be “on duty” as a lifeguard. Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Illinois and the generous support of Hyatt Hotels, Carli and her family were soon on their way to the famous resort island of Maui.

The staff at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Maui joined to make Carli’s wish possible. Several staff members greeted her with a colorful banner as she and her family arrived at the resort. Carli also received a customized uniform with her name embroidered on it (something not even done for staff members), a gift basket full of island-themed goodies – including a ukulele – and her own lifeguard whistle.

Carli began her day as a lifeguard with a visit to the resort’s Recreation Department, where she was welcomed with another colorful banner and met her new colleagues. She spent the rest of the day on duty at the hotel’s two lush pools, set on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Armed with her whistle and sunblock, Carli took her job seriously and kept a watchful eye to ensure each swimmer’s safety at the pools, including on the distinctive lava tube waterslide and swinging rope bridge.

But Carli’s island fun did not stop with her sun-filled “career day.” In the following days, she went on a submarine tour and attended a luau where she discovered a newfound love for dancing and hula hooping. She also visited a nearby ranch and enjoyed another of her passions, horseback riding, by taking a jaunt through a rain forest.

For Carli, the trip gave her a chance to forget about her conditions by focusing on the safety of others and getting a glimpse of what a dream being a lifeguard could be. She’s ready for her days at the beach!