On the Road Again

Make-A-Wish® Connecticut granted three-year-old Grace Alvardo’s wish to have an RV camper.

Three-year-old Grace is a very sweet girl with a huge smile who loves being outdoors and looking at trees - she is especially happy being in her wooded backyard with her three siblings. She loves to watch them jump on the trampoline and feels especially happy when she’s actively moving and splashing in her pool. What makes her really giggle, though, is joining her family for s’mores in the back yard.

Although she is nonverbal due to her nervous system disorder, Grace loves to laugh and shares her joy by smiling and rocking back and forth. Receiving attention from her loving family brings her the most joy of all. What also makes this little peanut happy and content is traveling and staying in places different than she’s used to.

But travel is difficult and costly for this family of six, especially with Grace’s special needs and equipment to consider. What better way to create hope and joy than to fulfill her wish with an RV camper – a safe way for her to travel and spend time with her beloved family!

It was a chilly day in April when Grace arrived at Hemlock Hill RV and saw her camper for the very first time. Once inside, decorative touches included camping-related artwork, as well as details such as a pillow with Grace and her three siblings’ names on it – all comfy touches to make it feel like a second home. Best of all, the new RV camper has enough space for every family member to be comfortable.

Planning quickly got under way for their very first camping trip to Hammonasset Beach State Park – the first of many future adventures for years to come.

A special thank you to the Barrios family for adopting Grace’s wish and to Hemlock Hill RV and the Andros family for helping us grant Grace’s camper.

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 Grace, 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.