Kissed by a new friend.

Lake Odessa, MI – 11-year-old Tabitha was born with spina bifida. This condition is a neural tube defect that occurs when the spinal column fails to close completely, causing spinal cord nerve damage. Tabitha is paralyzed from the waist down and must rely on a wheelchair and at times leg braces for mobility. She works hard every day at maintaining her upper body strength and frequently attends physical therapy. Tabitha has suffered from many complications due to her condition and has had to endure numerous surgeries.

After so many difficult operations and frequent stays in the hospital, what this courageous girl wanted most was an extra special vacation. And where better than Hawaii!

During her extraordinary trip to Hawaii, Tabitha and her family had no shortage of things to do. After checking into the beautiful Island Colony Hotel in Honolulu, Tabitha was anxious to start exploring!

Among many of her exciting ventures, Tabitha enjoyed a visit to the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Her mom, Angie, said that they all had a wonderful time. “It was just great. Everyone was so nice to Tabitha and really paid special attention to her!” The family also spent an afternoon taking a lovely and relaxing cruise around the islands where guests could learn hula dancing, play the ukulele, feed fish off of the side of the boat, and learn how to make head leis, which Tabitha especially enjoyed. “It was really neat,” said Angie.

Tabitha also stopped by a pineapple plantation and later had a blast at a beautiful luau on the beach, where there was plenty of singing and dancing and food. “It was so fun!” said Tabitha.

The highlight of the trip however, had to be Tabitha's trip out to the Sea Life Park where she was able to get up close and personal with the park's dolphins by going into the water with them. “It was really cool!” Tabitha said. “They were really cute.” Angie said it was a joy to see how much Tabitha enjoyed herself. “She just loved it. Just being able to be in the water and to touch the dolphins was so great for her!”

Tabitha returned home from her trip with lots of pictures and even more special memories. Angie said the entire wish meant so much to her daughter. “Tabitha just had so much fun. Everything was great. We'll definitely remember this forever!” Tabitha herself had a hard time coming home. “I could have stayed a lot longer! It was so fun!”


Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who may be in need of its wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004.

http://www.kidswishnetwork.org/