I wish to have fairy wings and fly
Lilah became sick at just 2 years old and as she got progressively weaker, her mum just knew something was wrong. After extensive doctor’s visits and tests, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at three years old.
Amelia’s Mum struggled to explain to her little girl how the grueling treatments – the chemotherapy, the steroids and endless hospital visits were to help her. But Lilah didn’t understand.
As she got older, other children often didn’t want to look at her, or know how to approach her, but Lilah learned to overcome these barriers. She would go up to children and say, ‘Hi, my name’s Lilah!” and sit and draw with them until they felt comfortable to speak to her.
Lilah’s mum Amelia says when the Make-A-Wish volunteers asked Lilah what she wished for, there was one obvious answer. Amelia believes her wish to fly with real wings came from being stuck at home and in hospital and that to her, flying meant freedom.
Lilah started her training to grow her fairy heart from Boss Queen Fairy (AKA Robyn Moore) in the lead up to her wish – and the three steps were to grow a fairy heart with love, with kindness and with courage. Three traits that Lilah already had bountiful amounts of, and was so excited to practice them even more in everyday life.
“To be a fairy you have to be kind. At school I was picking up litter, and I’ve been teaching my friends how to have a kind heart,” says Lilah.
When the big day arrived for Lilah to learn to fly, she very quickly warmed to her fairy teachers who taught her all the basics – such as flying, trapezing, swinging and using silks! Made even more complete with a special fairy bracelet and certificate of achievement that Lilah will always remember her fairy training by.
According to her mum, Lilah continues to talk about her wish every day and that the experience, “has the magic back into my life as well as hers, and that’s something I believe she will carry through the rest of her life.”
Critical illness steals childhood from a child. Become a WishMaker today to help grant a wish and return a stolen childhood.
Jessica Curran is Digital Marketing Manager at Make-A-Wish International, having joined the organisation in 2020 after 2.5 years at Make-A-Wish Ireland. Jessica is responsible for planning and executing social media content across all major platforms. Additionally, she oversees Make-A-Wish International’s external website, ensuring its effectiveness and alignment with our mission.