Rhys is a total outdoorsman! When we met this 16-year-old from Brainerd, we found out that he is not only battling cystic fibrosis, he’s also enduring Class IV heart failure. During his wish interview, he couldn’t stop talking about how much he loves being outdoors – boating, fishing, and snowmobiling. He even stopped the Zoom interview to flip the screen around to show off the deer in his backyard! He toggled back and forth between his top two wishes (a snowmobile or a boat allowance), but ultimately landed on a boat as his number one priority! He shared many fishing stories with the Wishes & More team and wants to create more memories on his own boat – specifically a bass fishing boat.
Rhys is hooked up to a machine almost all day that helps monitor his heart and helps with anticoagulation. He has been through the ringer the past few years and may be facing a transplant very soon. Until then, he is focusing on his wish and realizing that getting this boat will give him freedom for something that he is extremely passionate about! This wish is refocusing him to think about the future – the trips he will take, the fish he will catch, and the fun he will have with friends and family. We are so proud to share these photos of Rhys on day one of his boat ownership with his best pup, Bubbles! He used the Wishes & More boat allowance funds towards purchasing a 2002 Skeeter SX190, just in time for ice-out on most of our MN lakes! Mom said that his storage is overflowing with tackle and he’s already put on his trolling motor and graph. We can’t wait to see lots of fish photos in the near future! Keep fighting, Rhys!
