Valens

Valens is a curious and active 8-year-old who has battled a rare and very serious hormonal condition all his life resulting in extended periods of hospitalization.  In fact, he’s so familiar with being an inpatient that he shared his favorite memories as “getting x-rays” and he would like to grow up to be a heart surgeon!  He is a huge fan of hanging out with his family and one of his favorite places is “Up North” at Grandma’s house where he gets to play with chickens!  This young man also loves Star Wars and during his wish interview, he talked excitedly about bringing his family to Disney World. This past Summer, Wishes & More invited Valens to be a part of the Fridley Parade and we surprised him with an informal wish reveal letting him know that the Board approved his wish – AND he became the center of attention by riding in the Batmobile along the two-mile parade route. In October, we surprised him again when Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and Yoda showed up at his front door with his wish packet and itinerary! A few weeks later, his wish came true in Disney World (during a tropical storm!) where he met his favorite Disney characters, swam in the ocean and spent lots of time at Give Kids The World Village. We love to amplify the anticipation of a wish for our kids, and we are thrilled to replace hospital memories with a wish of a life-time! 😊