Sara, age 17

From Wish child Sara:

Just this past May, I was sitting at a street-side cafe enjoying delicious French baguettes and cheese! Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Michael Stars, my dad, mom, younger sister and I were sent to Paris, France! It was everything I ever thought it would be...only better!

My most memorable experiences during the trip included a bicycle ride to Versailles. We bought fresh fruit, meat and cheese in a quaint, open air market and ate our lunch on the palace grounds of Versailles. It was so beautiful!

Another, equally wonderful, experience was eating dinner in the Eiffel Tower. We had a window table that over looked the Seine River! It was absolutely fabulous. I couldn't have asked for a better time. Everything from the sights, to the food, to the people, and even the weather was absolutely perfect! This wish has been an answer to my prayers. Traveling to Paris has given me a renewed drive to keep up with my daily therapies and medications, so that I can follow my dreams! Lord willing, I will be able to travel more in the future. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful opportunity!

Appreciatively, Sara

From volunteer Fred L:

It was an honor to participate in one of the Greater Los Angeles chapter's first international wishes. When I interviewed Sarah, age 18, she told me she always wanted to visit Paris. I told Sarah that the Make-A-Wish Foundation just expanded its wish granting options to include international wishes, and I would try to help her fulfill her dream. Fortunately, Sarah's wish was approved, and she and her mother, father, and sister were scheduled to leave for Paris in May. In the meantime, Sarah, who has cystic fibrosis, participated in the A Season of Wishes weekly wish event at the Grove, and I was honored to be there with Sarah and her family. Michael Stars provided her with beautiful outfits for her trip that night, and Sarah made a special appearance on stage.

Because Sarah wasn't feeling that well, her family asked us to replace her going away party with a coming home party. When Sarah and her family returned from their wonderful trip to Paris, we had her coming home party and celebrated the fulfillment of her dream vacation to Paris. The family was nice enough to give me a copy of a DVD with all the pictures they took, and I could tell they had a unforgettable time in Paris.

Meeting Sarah and her family and watching Sarah's delight in fulfilling her dream to visit Paris is an example of why volunteering for Make-A-Wish means so much to me. Attached are some of the photos I took of Sarah's coming home party. Sarah will be attending Cal State University, Northridge in the fall and will major in nutrition. She is a special young woman, and I am lucky to have been part of her dream.