Fifteen-year-
At nine months old, Nicole was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, which is a malignant tumor on the retina. This cancer rarely occurs in adults, and most often affects children ages 5 years old and under. Symptoms include eye pain, pupil constantly dilated, and red eyes. In Nicole’s case, her doctors removed her right eye in order to save her left. In addition, Nicole suffered through both chemotherapy and radiation treatments to ensure that her left eye would not be affected, though the vision in this eye is now impaired.
Nicole’s grandmother donates to Kids Wish Network and she thought that Nicole would really benefit from her dream being fulfilled. Once referred, it wasn’t long before Nicole was telling Wish Coordinator, Vanessa, all about her wish to have her very own laptop.
Nicole knew she was getting a computer, but she was still surprised when it came. Along with the laptop, she also received games to play on it and a printer!
Since she got it, Nicole has played with it constantly. Though she isn’t online yet, she’s already got a plan of action for when she is connected to the World Wide Web. “I’m going to go on MySpace and listen to music and play games,” she said. While playing around with the laptop, Nicole has played many rounds of solitaire and even discovered that the computer has a camera! She has had a lot of fun with the device and actually recorded a short video of her playing her flute.
“She loves it,” says her mother, Cilia. “She’s great at graphics and design. She designs her own t-shirts…this [laptop] will really help showcase her talent. It may even help her benefit in the future.” It’s definitely a dream come true for Nicole and that’s exactly what Vanessa and everyone at Kids Wish Network wanted for her.
For making Nicole’s wish extra special, Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following: the Fort Worth Southwest Lions Club, RadioShack and Wal-Mart.
Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who may be in need of its wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004. For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit their website at www.kidswishnetwork.org
