Esteban’s Wish: We’re not in North Carolina Anymore!

Wish kid Esteban’s heartfelt wish was to fly on an airplane, and he wished to fly all the way to Las Vegas!

Esteban’s Wish

Esteban loves airplanes, playing electronic games like Bop-It, and now, he loves to travel. Esteban, who lives with a congenital heart disease, surprised his mom and sister at his wish discovery visit when he already knew exactly what he wanted to wish for: A trip to see the Wizard of Oz at the Sphere in Las Vegas. “All we knew was that he wanted to ride an airplane,” says his mom Joaquina.

A Flight, the Sphere, and Time With Family

Esteban’s wish trip was his first time on an airplane. He says “Being in the air was exciting. I saw mountains, clouds, and other airplanes flying in the sky.” Esteban and his family also visited the Airplane Shop, paradise for a fan of planes like Esteban, where he purchased a model airplane. Another highlight for Esteban was the Sphere, a high-tech, immersive theater experience where they watched the Wizard of Oz. Joaquina says, “I loved the Sphere the most, because I saw Esteban so full of happiness he was trembling, and we all had so much fun.” The trip was full of excursions: the Sphere, the circus, the M&M store, a dinner-andshow based on the series El Chavo del Ocho, and more. It was fun for Esteban and for his whole family: his parents and three siblings. Joaquina says that “We’ve lived some difficult moments with his older sisters, who had to mature very quickly and support me. This trip was a relief for us because we all had fun.” Joaquina reflects that the trip took Esteban’s family out of their routine of doctors’ visits, home, and school. “It was something nice and new for the whole family.”

Small Moments, Big Memories

Joaquina says that “For us, Esteban is a miracle, because of everything he has gone through, all his surgeries, and the doctors in certain surgeries have made us think of saying goodbye to him because he seemed very fragile, but he is still here with us.” Wishes like Esteban’s, while just a small moment in wish families’ lives, create big memories that celebrate the strength of kids and their families. In the midst of chaos, Esteban’s Las Vegas wish created the joy and hope that he and his family deserve.