A Little Nugget of Love

Make-A-Wish® Connecticut granted Evangeline Wilson’s wish to have a puppy.

Nugget is the name of the dog in Evangeline’s favorite book series, The Wingfeather Saga. This pup gets injured and revived several times throughout the popular series and is a source of inspiration for 14-year-old Evangeline (referred to as Evie for short), who, like her older sister Ada, battles cystic fibrosis.

Evie’s illness makes her even more vulnerable than usual, particularly during these challenging COVID times. She wished for a companion - a small, fluffy dog to help make her feel better when she is stuck at home sick, and her mom Julie shared that the “timing of getting the dog was perfect!” And it came as no surprise that when it came time for Evie to name her new puppy, “Nugget” was the choice!

Evie is rising to the challenge of raising her little Nugget. She researched dog care and watched lots of YouTube dog training videos. Not only is Nugget providing extra companionship but is also teaching Evie to structure her day and establish a routine. As Evie learns to care for her young pup, she is learning to take better care of herself as well. Getting to play with and train Nugget is Evie’s reward for getting through her daily treatments. In fact, “it’s nice to have the puppy with her during her treatments, he snuggles and falls asleep next to her,” remarked Evie’s mom, who further shares that “Nugget has truly bonded with Evie – he is more than a companion, he’s a comfort.”

And Evie is quick to chime in that “Nugget makes me smile no matter what!”

Please join us in support of our Summer of Hope campaign. Your gift today will give wish kids, like Evie, hope so they can look forward to tomorrow ct.wish.org/summerofhope

Make-A-Wish® Connecticut creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. They 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 3,400 wishes to local children. For more information about Make-A-Wish Connecticut, visit ct.wish.org.