A Colorful Adventure Built on Family Fun and Favorite Things
Carlsbad, California – Finn is all about LEGOs, and wishes he could have every LEGO set ever made. Just like his adored bricks, his wish was colorful, constructed with care, and themed to Finn’s favorite things. Kids Wish Network made his dream come true, sending his family for a fun-filled getaway to LEGOLAND and Universal Studios Hollywood!
Kids Wish Network flew his family to California for Finn’s vibrant adventure. They stayed at the whimsical LEGOLAND Castle Hotel in a Knights and Dragons themed room, enjoying the resort’s royally magical ambiance. “I got to sleep in a bunk bed!” Finn excitedly shared. The resort was also just steps away from the theme park. Their visit to LEGOLAND was full of special family moments enjoying all the rides, shows, and life-size LEGO sculptures. “When we walked out of LEGOLAND, he had the biggest grin on his face,” said his mom Kylar. Admission was courtesy of Merlin’s Magic Wand, and the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel provided a discounted rate.
Their trip to California also included a day at Universal Studios Hollywood, and their experience was infinitely elevated with special express passes that enabled them to bypass all the lines. “That was a huge benefit,” said his dad Tyler. It maximized their time, and made it possible to experience favorite rides multiple times. Finn said that was just about all of them. For their Universal experience, they enjoyed sleek and modern accommodations at BLVD Hotel & Studios, with their stay provided by the hotel.
Dinners also celebrated Finn with his favorite food, gifts and special attention. It was such a treat getting to have cheeseburgers at every meal. The restaurants were all in, making Finn’s wish extra memorable. The manager at the Hard Rock Café even kindly gifted him a LEGO set as a special souvenir. They also dined at Islands Restaurant who additionally went above and beyond, decorating his family’s booth with balloons and LEGO banner, and gifted Finn two LEGO sets, an abundant swag bag, and generous gift card to return to the restaurant. Mom was so appreciative of their kindness and attentiveness. Finn also got to take home the LEGO banner as a fun souvenir. His family’s meals were graciously provided by the restaurants.
“I was kind of teary the whole time, it was just so awesome,” said his mom. “I’m going to cry again talking about it. There were lots of moments we couldn’t believe we got to be there with him, it was just so special. He kept saying people are so nice to me, this is such a cool trip!”
Finn is a survivor of a rare eye cancer called retinoblastoma. When one of Finn’s beautiful blue eyes turned black, his parents took him for medical testing. They never could have imagined that his diagnosis would be cancer, and the drastic surgery of removing his eye to rid him of it. Scans revealed that the cancer had already overtaken 80% of his eye, so it was fortunate they removed it before the cancer spread to his brain stem. While he had to adapt to the loss of his eye and acclimate to a prosthetic implant, he never lost his vision for happiness.
Many Thanks
Kids Wish Network could not have provided this wish to Finn without the help of LEGOLAND California, Universal Studios Hollywood, BLVD Hotel & Studios, Merlin’s Magic Wand, Islands Restaurant (Carlsbad), Hard Rock Café (Hollywood Blvd.), and the many supporters who believe in making wishes come true for kids who need hope.
Sponsors:
LEGOLAND California:
Family Theme Park & Vacation Destination | LEGOLAND® California
FB: www.facebook.com
IG: instagram.com
Universal Studios Hollywood: https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/web/en/us?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=GMB
FB: https://www.facebook.com/UniversalStudiosHollywood
IG: https://www.instagram.com/unistudios/
BLVD Hotel and Studios:
BLVD Hotel and Studios™ A Studio City Hotel Hollywood Boutique Hotel near Universal Studios LA
FB: www.facebook.com
Hard Rock Café Hollywood:
Hollywood, CA Restaurants | Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood, CA | Live Music and Dining in Hollywood, CA
FB: www.facebook.com
IG: instagram.com
Islands Restaurant Carlsbad:
Carlsbad | Islands Restaurants in AZ & CA
FB: www.facebook.com
Merlin’s Magic Wand:
Home | Merlin's Magic Wand Children Charity
FB: www.facebook.com
Visit www.kidswishnetwork.org to learn about our different programs.
Kids Wish Network has been making dreams come true for children since 1997. We are dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children experiencing life-altering situations. We started with the single purpose of granting wishes to children suffering from life-threatening conditions but have since created additional programs to benefit kids nationwide, including Hero of the Month, Project Toy Drop, Holiday of Hope Gift Banks, and A Child Forever Funeral Assistance.