Stamford Wish Kid Explores Paris with Her Family

Lexi, now 16-years-old, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2014. She immediately began her difficult two-and-a-half-year treatment and has since been in remission. In August of 2018, she received a wish from Make-A-Wish Connecticut that allowed her to reflect on her journey like no other experience could – a trip to Paris with her family.

Every part of the wish process excited Lexi. When she learned that she had been granted her wish, she immediately dove into researching everything about Paris – a city that has been special to her for as long as she can remember. She wanted to personalize her trip as much as possible. “I’m a very pragmatic person, so I love having a plan,” shared Lexi, “My wish granters made sure that everything that I wanted to do was taken care of which I appreciated so much.” Though hard to choose from her amazing memories of staying in a boutique French hotel, walking through the Catacombs, exploring Parisian cuisine on a food tour, and experiencing the beauty of the Palace of Versailles, Lexi’s favorite was cruising the Seine. “The river tour was something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life,” she expresses.

Seeing that travel is something everyone in Lexi’s family loves, the opportunity to visit France with the help of Make-A-Wish Connecticut was exciting for all of them; however, their trip to Paris was more meaningful than past vacations. “Having a wish allowed my family and me to see that sometimes something really good can come from something really bad,” Lexi reveals, “During the trip, it was amazing for my family and me to be able to realize how far we’ve come.”

Now, Lexi is a junior in high school and takes pride in the wide variety of activities she is able to be a part of. Between leading her high school’s debate team, participating in student government, writing for the school newspaper, and volunteering with Make-A-Wish and the American Cancer Society, Lexi is always busy and wouldn’t have it any other way. “After everything I’ve been through, I know how important it is to give back whenever you have the opportunity to,” Lexi mentions.

Thinking back on her trip, Lexi realizes how essential her wish was to her journey with her illness even though she is in remission. “Watching the sunset on the river and the lights sparkling on the Eiffel Tower with my family was a nice way to take a reprieve after everything that I’ve been through,” Lexi says, “At some point, I’d love to go back.”

Between June and August, Make-A-Wish Connecticut will grant more than 90 wishes to Connecticut children, like Lexi, with critical illnesses—most will include travel. Thanks to an incredibly generous donation from The Yvette & Arthur Eder Foundation, every donation made to our Summer of Wishes campaign will have twice the impact. From now until August 31st, every dollar you give — up to a total of $50,000 — will be matched.

Let's make this the best summer ever for local wish children waiting for their life-changing wishes. Will YOU help us transform a life with this amazing opportunity? To help make their wishes come true, consider donating at ct.wish.org/summerofwishes.

ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH CONNECTICUT

Make-A-Wish® Connecticut creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child's wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child's treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and volunteers across the state currently grant nearly 250 wishes a year. Since 1986, Make-A-Wish Connecticut has granted more than 3,000 wishes to local children. For more information about Make-A-Wish Connecticut, visit ct.wish.org.