Shopping ‘Til She Drops: Natalie’s NYC Wish

Natalie’s wish was a perfect fit for her, and gave her a taste of the freedom and joy on the other side of her cancer journey.

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Unique Wishes for Unique Kids

Every wish is uniquely tailored to each wish kid, creating experiences to encourage them through the hardest moments in their journeys. Natalie’s wish to have a shopping spree in New York City exemplifies how wishes bring kids’ wildest dreams to life. Natalie is undergoing treatment for cancer, but her eyes are trained on the future. Her senior year of high school is drawing near, along with her last season as a cheerleader and starting college next year. Beating cancer is a big focus in her life and having experiences to look forward to helps her cope. One of the biggest moments to look forward to? Her wish.

A Perfect Wish in her Dream City

It was easy for Natalie to choose her wish: “I just like New York, and I like to shop.” Natalie had visited New York City before, but only for a short twelve hours. That trip gave her a taste of what would one day become her favorite city — now, Natalie even plans to move to NYC when she’s an adult. During her wish, Natalie and her family saw New York in a new light. Having the time to explore different boroughs, sightsee, and try foods like New York pizza not once, not twice, but three times, made the city feel real. “We walked A LOT,” she says. “I liked, it, though.” Their days were filled with long walks with no destination in mind, stopping for a bagel or NY slice when the walking worked up their appetites. The day of Natalie’s shopping spree, however, was carefully planned out.

The Big Day

From making her own Kendra Scott bracelet, to visiting Free People three times, Natalie truly shopped ‘til she dropped. Luckily, a limousine accompanied her, otherwise, the number of shopping bags she accumulated would likely be too much to carry! Natalie’s absolute favorite story she visited was aptly named Colorful Natalie. With a pink façade, colorful (mostly pink) NYC merch, and, of course, pink stickers saying “Natalie visited Colorful Natalie,” there was no store more fitting for wish kid Natalie. It was the cherry on top of a perfect day.

Broadening Horizons, Raising Spirits

When kids like Natalie are in the middle of their treatment journeys, a wish opens doors, giving them the taste of the freedom that’s on the other side of treatment. From walking wherever she felt called to walk, to shopping without concern for time or budget, Natalie’s wish experience was all about freedom. Natalie’s mom reflects, “She was able to experience New York in a way that we probably wouldn't have gotten to otherwise without Make-A-Wish, so I'm very thankful that she got to experience it and enjoy it… it definitely raised her spirits and made her feel good.”

Wishes are lifechanging. Wishes like Natalie’s are powerful, sharing the strength to keep going, joy to last a lifetime, and hope of brighter days ahead