Wish kid starts Reggae Run, then “hangs ten” in Hawaii

Kyle Boedeker is a 15-year old boy with end-stage Renal Disease.  While recovering from a kidney transplant a year ago, Kyle’s spirits were buoyed by thoughts of his wish – a trip to Hawaii .  He wanted to go to Hawaii because he was born there and because he wanted to learn how to surf.  What better place to take on the waves than the Hawaiian Islands !

Kyle’s wish began with a spectacular send-off at the 2002 Reggae Run.  He was a special guest at the event and had the honor of giving the signal to start the race.

A few weeks after the Reggae Run, Kyle and his family headed to Hawaiian Islands .  The Hawaiian fire surf team – some of the best surfers out there – taught Kyle how to “hang ten.”  Kyle was thrilled that he could get up on the board and began referring to himself as the “surfing king.”  He and his family also visited the place where he was born and a lot of the places that his parents often talked about.  Kyle particularly enjoyed learning about the culture of the Hawaiian Islands by participating in an authentic luau. 

 “One of the greatest things a parent can receive in their life is to see their children smile and laugh with the enjoyment of life,” said Kyle’s dad, Anthony Boedeker.  “That is exactly what my wife and I were experiencing the entire trip to Hawaii .  Kyle was all smiles from the time we got picked up at the door until we came back home.”

All the gear:  With help from Cincinnati firefighter Harvey Cobbs, Wish kid Kyle Boedeker tried on the full firefighting ensemble before he climbed atop the fire truck and gave the signal to start the race.

Kyle enjoyed his trip so much that he has convinced his friends to go back to Hawaii with him in a few years to celebrate their high-school graduation.  This makes his mom and dad very happy because Kyle once again is talking about finishing high school and about his future in general.

All told, Kyle’s wish was a grand success.  Kyle said “mahalo” (“thank you” in Hawaiian).  “I enjoyed the whole trip, especially the surfing,” he said. “You made one of my biggest dreams come true.”

Members of the Hawaiian fire surf team helped Kyle (center) take on the waves.

More dreams come true

In addition to Kyle – the “surfing king” – many other children with life-threatening medical conditions have been helped by the Make-A-Wish Foundation with funds raised by the Reggae Run.  Here are a few more stories of these special kids.

Torian, a 12-year-old boy with Hodgkin’s Disease, loves sports.  Football, hockey, basketball … he enjoys all of them.  But when given the choice of just one wish, Torian wanted to meet the NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers.

The Southern Ohio Chapter flew Torian and his family to Los Angeles and – with help from the Los Angeles Make-A-Wish Chapter – sent them to the Lakers’ last home game of the season.  But that was not all. The Lakers surprised Torian and his family by inviting them to a practice before the big game and allowing them onto the court.  The “slam dunk” was when Torian met several players including Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher!

While in Los Angeles , Torian and his family were also treated to a day at Universal Studios and Knotts Berry Farm.  Torian wrote, “Thank you for granting me a wish to go to Los Angeles to see the Lakers game and all the other activities.  That really made me feel special!”

Meghan clowns around

Meghan, a 3-year-old with Pulmonary Atresia, was preparing to go to San Francisco for open-heart surgery, and she was told she could have a wish before the trip. Meghan said that her wish was to meet Loonette the Clown from the children’s show “The Big Comfy Couch.”

With only a week to plan, a volunteer in the Southern Ohio Make-A-Wish office tracked down Loonette’s agent in Toronto .  Loonette (actress Alyson Court ) said that she would come to Cincinnati right away to visit with Meghan.

On a beautiful day in March, Meghan and her family were picked up by limousine and driven to the Westin Hotel for a private breakfast with Loonette.  Meghan’s eyes were so big when she saw Loonette … they looked as if they would pop.  She kept looking at Loonette’s back to see if there were any wires or strings.  Since there were none, she grabbed Loonette’s hand and took her to the comfy couch in the room.  The two of them colored, giggled and played with Loonette’s doll, Molly.

After clowning around and eating breakfast, it was time to go. Meghan wanted Loonette – her new best friend – to go with her.  When they finally said “good-bye,” everyone knew that Loonette would be with Meghan in spirit during her trip to San Francisco .

Trevor catches up with his rodeo hero

Trevor is an 8-year-old boy with Cerebral Palsy and a severe seizure disorder. Ever since he saw Trevor Brazile’s name on the winners’ board for a televised rodeo, this child has idolized him.  So it was no surprise when little Trevor said his wish was to meet Trevor Brazile and to see a real, live rodeo.

His wish came true when he traveled to Dallas with his mom and uncle to meet Trevor Brazile at the Texas Stampede Rodeo.  After resting up from his day of traveling, little Trevor and his family met his rodeo hero for lunch. The two Trevors chatted up a storm.  The rodeo star brought Trevor a rope -- like the one he competes with - and an autographed picture.  Little Trevor loved these gifts and could not stop smiling.

That night Trevor and his family had “platinum preferred” seating at the Texas Stampede.  Before the competition began, Trevor Brazile came and visited our wish child at his seat and gave him a gorgeous black cowboy hat with a dedication on the box that read “To my best fan!”

While on his trip, Trevor and his family also got to visit the Ft. Worth Stockyards and Billy Bob’s honky-tonk restaurant.  And he managed to squeeze in a second rodeo before packing up for his trip home.  Exhausted, but still beaming with joy over his hat and cattle rope, little Trevor summed up his trip by repeating this phrase: “He gave them to me! He gave them to me!”