One Happy Camper

Make-A-Wish® Connecticut granted six-year-old Silas Peyre’s wish to have a camping trailer.

Silas has experienced a lot in his short life. When he was just five years old, his parents noticed a large mass on his abdomen. That mass turned out to be cancer, and Silas underwent treatment before entering into remission. Camping has become an activity where Silas can forget about his illness and focus on having fun like any other six-year-old, but with the pandemic it has become difficult to do so. However, Silas decided a camping trailer would allow him and his family to continue to travel and camp safely. Silas said, “I want to see the world without having to worry about the virus and I can still have fun outside and see different places.”

Six-year-old Silas loves to be outside. While at home, he enjoys riding bikes and playing superheroes on the playground. Silas’ favorite superhero is Batman. Every year during summer vacation, Silas and his younger sister, Audrina, try to spend as much time as possible outdoors. One of the ways they do this is during their weekend camping getaways in a pop-up camper with Meme and Papa, their grandparents. Silas enjoys camping because it allows him and his family to go on different adventures and meet new people, not only in Connecticut but in other states as well.

Arriving by limo and escorted by Connecticut State Police, Silas received his wish at Hemlock Hill RV in Southington, who generously donated the camper to Silas and his family. Not only was Silas surprised with his very own camper trailer, but he was also gifted equipment to make the perfect campsite, supplies for s’mores and of course, as requested, the camper had bunk beds for both him and his sister. Now Silas will be able to catch fish and help his daddy make fires. And, like Batman, the camper also doubles as his very own ‘Batcave;’ it is the perfect superhero hideout on wheels! Silas’ dad added, “it took a lot of people for this to come together, and it means a lot to me and my family.”

Now, with their new camping trailer in tow, Silas and his family will be able to travel safely and spend quality time with one another and create lasting memories as they hit the open road on family vacations in the years to come. Silas’ mom said, “We can just be together and enjoy our time together. We are going to have a lot of memories with this, for sure.”

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 Silas, 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.