Make a Wish celebrates 35 years of making dreams come true
Posted By: Channel 8 Eyewitness News
8@klkntv.com
KEARNEY, Neb. — Some wish to meet their favorite athlete, some want to see Disneyworld.
However, those wishes would not be possible without one group to make them happen.
Donors and organizers made it out to the Younes Center in Kearney on Thursday for the 35th annual Make a Wish Nebraska.
Hundreds of donors, wish families and children, sharing their stories and how they have been impacted by Make a Wish.
Izabella Voelker, also known as Bella, was diagnosed back in 2016 with pineal–blastoma brain cancer after feeling sharp elbow pain.
That pain was an odd and uncommon symptom that later revealed a brain tumor.
"Like it was right in the center of three of my major blood vessels that lead to my heart, my major organs that had like a tissue paper thin coat around them so if the doctor nicked one I would have bled out and died,” said Izabella.
Bella survived the eight and half hour surgery and was able to make a wish for a family trip to South Africa.
"We just had an amazing time, we went ziplining and we went on Segway’s and we saw so many animals and we walked hand in trunk with elephants, went to so many different sanctuaries with these animals,” said Bella.
Bella said Make a Wish has done so much for her family and that this vacation was something that brought them together as she said being apart was the most difficult when she went away for radiation treatment.
"It was just very tough because you just miss everybody and you don’t get to see them and it’s just really tough,” said Bella.
If Bella had any advice for those young and battling, she said to dream big and make the grandest wish of all.
A for her future, not only does Bella plan on one day becoming a marine biologist, focusing on her favorite animal the orca, but she plans to continue speaking on behalf of cancer patients at events just like this.
Make a Wish also granted one young boy his dream come true on Thursday.
Three-year old Alexandro from Lexington will be going to Disneyworld.
Courtesy: NTV
