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Choosing Joy

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Kayla is my smart and beautiful 8-year-old daughter.

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Last November, her doctors told us she had high-risk acute myeloid leukemia.

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Treatment would mean six long months in the hospital. As an 8-year-old, her first thoughts were not about IVs or chemo. They were about everything she would miss.

Kayla said, “Seriously?! That long? What about Thanksgiving camping next week?

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What about the Christmas concert I practiced for and the hot cocoa afterward?”

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Then her Child Life Specialist, Holley, introduced her to Little Wishes, and for the first time since her diagnosis, Kayla smiled and said “Seriously?!” again, but this time with excitement.

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When Christmas came, Holley helped Kayla create her first wish, a Merry Grinchmas theme complete with a mini tree and Grinch ornaments.

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Snowflake lights twinkled as she fell asleep, wrapping her hospital room in warmth and wonder.

Her favorite wish came later. She created “Kiki’s Café and Market,” a pretend toy shop where she took orders, made drinks, and sold play food to her nurses and family.

Whenever Kayla grew restless or scared, Little Wishes brought light back into her eyes.

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Thinking about her next wish gave her a sense of control, freedom, and joy at a time when everything else felt out of her hands.

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Every hospital room had a whiteboard filled with medical plans and test results.

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The space that mattered most was the countdown her dad kept at the top: “Days until the next Little Wish.”

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Even through infections, allergic reactions, chemo, radiation, and transplant preparation, her biggest “problem” was deciding what to wish for next. For that, we were incredibly grateful.

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Little Wishes was never just about gifts. It helped Kayla connect with her medical team in new ways.

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Her nurses became regulars at Kiki’s Café, and her doctors set aside medication talk to compliment her Grinch decorations. These moments built trust, laughter, and connection, things medicine alone cannot provide.

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From the very beginning, it was clear that Kayla’s mental well-being was closely tied to her physical healing.

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She reminded us all that her greatest strength was choosing joy every single day, no matter how hard or frightening it was.

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When she needed it most, Little Wishes became one of those daily joys and gave her hope, strength, and courage.

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Today, Kayla is seven months post-transplant, back in school with her friends, and in remission!

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“I am so grateful that Little Wishes was part of my journey.” – Kayla

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With immense gratitude,

Kayla’s Mom

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Give More Joy Today!