Child's Special Wish Comes True

By Nicole Wiseman and Chris Howell, NewsOn6.com

JENKS, OK - Each year, the wishes of hundreds of thousands of children with life-threatening medical conditions are made a reality.

That's thanks to Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Eight-year-old Ethan Starkweather recently had his wish come true.

Ethan has been through a lot as a child. He has Prader-Willi Syndrome. It's a very rare genetic disorder.

"It causes low muscle tone, so he has a lot of physical delays. It's a deletion on the 15th Chromosome and it causes them to never feel full. They're always hungry," said Amy Starkweather, Ethan's Mother.

Amy says her son has always stayed positive through it all.

"He's a great kid. Despite all that he goes through, he always has a smile on his face," said Amy.

It was during one of Ethan's treatments at the hospital, that he came up with a special wish.

"Fly with Peter Pan and ride a whale," said 8-year-old Ethan Starkweather.

With Ethan's wish in mind, Amy contacted Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma.

"We come in and bring them some joy and some hope and some strength by granting them a wish and just giving them a little piece of their childhood back during that time," said Jane Rohweder, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma.

That's exactly what they did for Ethan. Make-A-Wish sent Ethan and his family to Disney World. Ethan met Peter Pan and even got his picture taken with him.

"He did get to meet Peter Pan and he got to feed a dolphin and he got to see Shamu. So, he got to see the whale and he also danced with Cinderella, which was a big hit."

Ethan had another surprise too. He got to meet Miss America.

"It was a whole week of not worrying about appointments and therapy and scheduling medication shipments and just all the worry," said Amy Starkweather.

This trip was exactly what the whole family needed.

"It was magical for me too. You just don't get to see your kid's dream come true. It was wonderful," said Amy.

Children between the ages of 2 ½ and 18 years-old can have their wish come true.
Wishes generally include visiting Disney World, going for a shopping spree, getting a new computer or meeting a celebrity.

It costs $7,000 to make an average wish come true. Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma anticipates helping 175 children this fiscal year. They rely heavily on fundraisers to make the wishes come true.

You can help out by visiting The News On 6 Concept Home.

You pay a small fee and tour an amazing home. The home is fully furnished and decorated. You can get some new ideas and look at the latest concepts in homebuilding, not to mention help a child.

The concept home is located at 1434 E 122nd Court in Jenks.

Tickets are $10 at the door or you can buy them in advance at Mathis Brothers Furniture for $6. All money raised goes directly to Make-A-Wish of Oklahoma.

You have until Sunday to visit.

Click here for more information, including directions on how to get to the home.