March is Children鈥檚 Wish Month, and one special 琉璃神社 family is getting their wish granted to experience water slides, Canada鈥檚 Wonderland and Niagara Falls.
Liam Lauinger was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, the same cancer Terry Fox had, when he was nine.
鈥淲e had amazing doctors and were able to save his leg,鈥� said mother Amber Biglow.
Now 12, cancer free, and attending Rutland Middle School, things are looking up for Lauinger and his family, despite minor setbacks with his recovering leg.
His wish is to stay somewhere in Canada because 鈥渋t鈥檚 too hot in Florida,鈥� he said.
Biglow described Liam as a fish, always loving the water, which is why Lauinger wants to spend time at Great Wolf Lodge in Toronto.
Biglow sees the trip as a means to end the chapter on a difficult part in the family鈥檚 life.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping he鈥檚 just able to get away from it all for a while,鈥� she said.
The family is having their wish granted by the Children鈥檚 Wish Foundation.
鈥淚 think for me it鈥檚 kind of recognition for what he鈥檚 been through,鈥� said Biglow. 鈥淭hese kids who get these wishes, they鈥檙e going through something that as adults, it鈥檚 so hard to imagine. When I see him getting to pick this it鈥檚 kind of like the world is saying to him 鈥榶ou know what, we realize what you鈥檝e gone through and we have your back.鈥� He鈥檚 gone through so much. It鈥檚 changed how his life is.鈥�
Lauinger will travel to Toronto in June, 2018 with his seven-year-old sister Logan Lauinger, father Shilo Lauinger and Biglow.
To celebrate Children鈥檚 Wish Month, Pacific Blue Cross has teamed up with the B.C. and Yukon chapter of the Children鈥檚 Wish Foundation of Canada to launch the Text Bluewish campaign.
In the past five years, the wishes of 14 琉璃神社 children fighting life-threatening illnesses have been granted. But there are 11 pending wishes to make a reality.
The fastest way for community members to donate to help grant wishes is by texting BLUEWISH to 80100 to give $5, $10 or $20. Donations can also be made at textbluewish.ca. Pacific Blue Cross will match donations to help reach a goal of $10,000 鈥� the average cost of a wish.
