Seven-year-old Will is a bus aficionado who has no equal. He loves the smell of diesel exhaust in the morning, hopping on a bus full of fellow Philadelphians and cruising around the bustling city. But he wished to, just once, have a bus all to himself. Will wanted to go wherever he wanted, pick any seat he wanted and not have to slow down for bus stops. The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia & Southeastern Pennsylvania got onboard to fulfill Will’s wish.

Will, who is diagnosed with epilepsy, has collected bus “Transpasses” since he was 3 years old. While most people think of a bus ride as just a way to get around, he thinks of them as the gateway to adventure. Will’s father often takes him for walks, and the walks usually include eating ice cream and watching the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority buses at the station just steps from their house. His favorite bus of all was decorated in a Sesame Street motif.

When wish granters prepared Will’s private bus, they made sure Will would feel like he’s on the set of Sesame Street. A local graphic designer had his company print signs featuring Will’s favorite characters: Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster. On an ordinary day, Will’s bus would carry 47 people. With just his mother and wish granters on board, he had plenty of room to stretch out and pick the best seats. Wish granters also loaded the bus with pictures, models, toy buses, T-shirts and bus pass holders.

Will was ecstatic when his personal bus pulled up at the Sheraton Bucks County Hotel. He’d already spent two days exploring the nearby Sesame Place® theme park, but having his own bus was the real focus of his wish.

His five-hour trip started off with a stop at the Red Robin for lunch. Then, Will was in command. His edict was just to roll around the City of Brotherly Love. Though he had no real destination, Will got a thrill from riding on his own bus with just his mother, Lisa, and his wish granters.

For the first time ever, a bus dropped him off right at his doorstop.

“When he got on his own bus,” Lisa remembers, “Will pulled out his Transpass and swiped it just like he would on any bus. He was very happy!”

By Justin Schmid

jschmid@wish.org