Collin is the second child in his family to receive a wish from Wishes & More, and he has the same condition as his brother: congenital hydrocephalus and the resultant Chiari malformation. This means that an excess of cerebrospinal fluid plagues Collin’s brain, causing a lot of painful pressure and a variety of alarming symptoms. To fuel the fire, his swollen brain has adapted to the pressure by growing into the spinal canal. This is what caused the malformation and additional concerns. Among other symptoms, Collin’s malformation affects swallowing, balance and has interfered with his breathing at times.
Despite the plethora of medical concerns, Collin has grown to be a unique, hopeful, and happy 11-year-old, no doubt due to his strong familial bonds. His incredible imagination brings a lot of joy, and he constantly talks about his inventions and what he’ll be when he grows up. He loves supercars and LEGOS – anything he can build and play with – as well as magic! When our Wish Wizards interviewed Collin, he let us know that his greatest wish was to go to Give Kids The World to visit LEGOLAND, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the Kennedy Space Center! As many of you saw at the Winter Ball in May (https://youtu.be/V4X9wnOufJU) we conspired with Collin’s parents to keep the trip a secret until we could give him a HUGE surprise at the event on-stage! He couldn’t believe his ears when he found out that he was off to explore the Florida attractions the NEXT DAY! Collin and his family swam under the sun, drank ice-cold Butterbeer, checked out Star Wars droids, marveled at a SpaceX launch, and built to their hearts’ content at LEGOLAND. It was our pleasure to grant this wish for Collin, and we know he and his family will remember and cherish the magic of this wish for years to come!
