It wasn’t a huge wish … it was a small one on the hard to make it happen scale. AnnaSerra Weider’s wish was to spend some time with her Uncle Ronnie Pelusio doing the things that they loved to do together… cooking and spending time with, and learning about wildlife, especially wolves. Uncle Ronnie lived all the way cross country in Boulder, Colorado and AnnaSerra missed him a lot.
In July 2016 Make-A-Wish granted AnnaSerra’s wish. She traveled with her parents Jeaninne and Loring, and older brother Elijah for 8 days of fun in Boulder, Colorado.
Make-A-Wish of Western New York is guided by the belief that, “A wish experience can be a game-changer for a child with a life-threatening medical condition. We grant wishes to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”
Mom Jeaninne says the Make-A-Wish for AnnaSerra, who lives with epilepsy, was a once in a lifetime experience. “It meant so much to us that we were together as a family. The whole trip was our family spending quality time together with my brother Ronnie and his fiancée Erin. It was very special to all of us. We didn’t have to do any of the planning or preparation, all we had to do was just be together as a family and let it happen.”
AnnaSerra’s trip experience was arranged by Make-A-Wish and her granters Laurie and Matt Popielarz from Hamlin.
AnnaSerra’s Colorado experience included a private tour of The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado which is the world’s largest carnivore sanctuary with more than 430 rescued lions, tigers, bears and wolves living and roaming freely on 720 acres. Wolves are AnnaSerra’s favorite and she said, “It was the first time I saw a real live wolf.” She was also enamored with a tiger who she said, “Looked just like my cat.” She came home with a grey stuffed animal wolf that she named “Wolfie.”
The family also enjoyed a private cooking class. Cooking instructions were given by private chef Ashleay in a professional culinary kitchen. The family prepared all of AnnaSerra’s favorites including meatballs, angel hair pasta, and chocolate cake. The experience included not only the preparation and eating of the food, but also setting the table and clean up after dinner.
Everywhere the family went they were treated with special attention and care. They rode on a fire truck during the 4th of July parade in the town of Gold Hill, Colorado, they ate at special restaurants and tea houses, were treated to ice cream at local shops, experienced limo rides, created ceramic mementos at Color Me Mine, and stayed at the Hotel Boulderado, an upscale downtown Boulder hotel built in 1909. The family also rented jeeps and drove through Estes Park that lies along the Big Thompson River. But most importantly to AnnaSerra each day they met for lunch with Uncle Ronnie and she was able to just spend time with him.
AnnaSerra Weider listens carefully to professional chef Ashleay as she gives instructions on preparing a meal. Provided photo
This was AnnaSerra’s first experience flying on an airplane and Southwest Airlines made it a trip to remember. They presented her with a special basket of snacks and goodies, she got to meet the pilot and sit in the control seat, they even made her a necklace fashioned from little pretzel packages. When the the airline crew presented the necklace to AnnaSerra they announced over the loud speaker that a very special passenger was onboard.
“Everywhere we went people were so kind and giving. It was a beautiful and humbling experience for all of us,” Jeaninne Weider says. When asked about the Make-A-Wish experience, AnnaSerra’s face became a big beautiful smile and she gave it two thumbs up.
To learn more about Make-A-Wish visit www.wny.wish.org.
