MAW Ball 2022

It has been a while since I have written here, but this past weekend is totally blog worthy. Friday night was such an honor as Rhett had his wish revealed to him at the Make-A-Wish Ball. Everything about the night was simply amazing from dressing up, to seeing the joy on Rhett’s face, to watching people come together to raise an enormous amount of money so that other kids can feel the magic of having a wish come true.

Rhett having a wish granted has been a long time coming. We first began the process before the pandemic, while I was still pregnant with Brooks. The original wish was to go to Disney World so that Rhett could experience the magic of meeting his favorite characters. We waited until Brooks was born, then waited some more due to frequent travel to Cincinnati and procedures, and then the pandemic hit which caused even more delay. We were told around Christmas time that travel wishes could resume, so we were so excited to finally plan this Disney trip. Until we heard the news that only vaccinated people could travel for the wish, and Brooks is currently too young to be vaccinated. That put Disney out of the question because not only is this wish for Rhett, but also the entire family. There was just no way I could leave Brooks behind, as he is always a trooper with the many therapies, appointments, and attention his older brother receives. I am a firm believer that everything works out as it should, and this is no different. This allowed us to think outside of the box and really figure out what Rhett would truly want his wish to be. As my father-in-law was searching YouTube one day, he came across a kid who had previously wished to become a zookeeper. At that moment I knew that is exactly what Rhett would wish for. With his love for animals, especially lions and hippos, he would love to get a closer experience with them than just a standard zoo trip. With Cincinnati being our home away from home, and the home of his favorite hippo, Fiona, we knew it would be his dream come true to have a close up visit with this special hippo.

Make-A-Wish took off planning this amazing wish. We were unsure of exactly what we would be able to do, but they told us they would do their best. During this time we were asked if we could attend the Make-A-Wish Ball in Charlotte, NC, to have his wish revealed to him in front of a crowd of people all coming together to help make these wishes happen. The wish reveal was so amazing, and it’s not even the wish! At the ball they played a video explaining to Rhett what he will get to do, and his face lit up with excitement as he signed “hippo” over and over again. They brought out some amazing goodies for him to take home, and even brought a surprise visit from a real life monkey and baby kangaroo. When Rhett saw the animals he was over the moon with excitement. He signed “brown kangaroo” and I’m pretty sure wanted to hold him. He wasn’t too sure about the little monkey, though. The baby kangaroo had not yet been named, but as of Friday night he now has the name Rhett. That’s right, they named the kangaroo after Rhett! How special! These animals live at Zootastic in Mooresville, so if you ever get the opportunity, be sure to visit!

In a few months, Rhett will get to experience his very own wish of a lifetime. We will vacation to Cincinnati, without any hospital or medical visits, and just enjoy time together as a family making memories. We are so excited, honored, and grateful for this amazing opportunity. After all the procedures, appointments, and therapies he has faced in his six years of life, he is so deserving of this amazing trip and wish come true. We are beyond thankful for Make-A-Wish and all of the donors who help make these dreams happen. It is so amazing for the children and entire family. Stay tuned as Rhett’s wish comes true in late May/early June!!