Have a Little Faith

Make-A-Wish® Connecticut granted 12-year-old Sanara Belle’s wish to have a Yorki-Poo puppy.

Sanara is a smart and bubbly 12-year-old who lives with her mother and older brother. She is a typical pre- teen who loves watching Disney movies, playing video games, participating in sports, and has a creative side: doing crafts, coloring and writing. However, since her kidney disorder diagnosis, she struggles to find a balance between the activities she loves and her various doctor’s visits and treatments. Before Sanara’s wish was granted she was in and out of the hospital, in lots of pain and missed lots of school.

From the beginning of the wish granting process, it was clear that Sanara had thought long and hard

about her wish and discussed it extensively with her mother: Sanara wanted to get a dog. After doing her homework, researching which breed would work best for her and her family, Sanara decided she wanted a Yorkie-Poo. She always wanted a small and loyal dog and finally convinced her mom she was old enough and responsible enough to get one!

Sanara and her brand-new Yorkie-Poo puppy, Faith, met each other at the Make-A-Wish Connecticut’s Wishing Place in Trumbull. Everyone in the room knew that Sanara and Faith were destined to be best friends from the moment they first set eyes on each other.

In fact, Sanara’s mom shares that “Faith has so much love for my daughter - she knew she belonged to Sanara right away and is very protective of her.” There is no coincidence that Sanara’s puppy already came with the name Faith, for her mom shares that “Faith is the reason Sanara is still here.” Sanara had the option to change her pup’s name but kept it because of all she’s gone through.

Sanara’s illness has been a long journey for the entire family – it changed all of their lives a lot. But since Faith has come into Sanara’s life, she hasn’t been in the hospital since June and is in a much better place emotionally. She’s even getting back to participating in sports and tried out for the volleyball team.

Sanara’s Yorkie-Poo puppy, Faith, truly lives up to her name. That is, Faith provides Sanara with hope and the assurance that the best is yet to come. Sanar’s mom said, “Faith has given Sanara a reason to smile, has lifted her spirits and all of our spirits. We can’t imagine our lives without her!”

Thank you to Insuritas for adopting Sanara’s wish and to Banfield Pet Hospital, Puppy Spot, Petland and Hy’s Limousine for helping to make Sanara’s wish come true.

Make-A-Wish is in the business of delivering hope, and hope has never been more important than now for our wish kids. It can be difficult to continue to hope when we have had so many dreams deferred due circumstances beyond our control, but the moment we have something to look forward to, everything begins to change. Hope is a superpower that kids living with critical illness, like Sanara, have been tapping into long before many of us heard the word, “lockdown.” Helping more kids find hope is something we all have the power to do, because for these children—as for all of us—the promise of a wish is so much more than a temporary escape. It’s a wellspring of strength to keep fighting for better days. Hope is essential for children living with critical illnesses and you can unlock its transformative power today. Don’t wait for hope; create it! Donate now at ct.wish.org.