Author: integritivity

Terri is the mother of (3) beautiful children, wife of a wonderful husband, loving friend, sister, aunt, and cousin. She was diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma (LMS), a rare and aggressive cancer, in February of 2021. Terri stopped working in 2022 due to the hardships of trying to maintain work, treatment, and side effects. Terrie wished for a trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA as a time for the family to have fun and step away from the stresses and reminders of cancer.

Stella’s Wish Foundation has granted Terri’s wish and the family will go to Great Wolf Lodge.

In 2010, Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through chemo, radiation, and surgeries and was in remission for a year before being diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer that has spread throughout her bones. She wished for a vacation to make lasting memories.

Stella’s Wish Foundation is sending Sarah and her kids on a trip to DisneyWorld.

Eric Ortega is 38 years old with three children ages 12, 10, and 4.   He has been diagnosed with a liver autoimmune disease that has caused cancer in the liver as well and has now spread and turned into stage 4 cancer. Eric wishes to take my wife and children on a special trip.

Stella’s Wish is sending Eric and his family on a cruise to the Bahamas.

 

Stella’s Wish Foundation has granted Roger’s wish for a helicopter ride around the Arizona mountains.

Melissa was diagnosed with TNBC in 2020. She had numerous surgeries, chemo, radiation & immunotherapy in the past 4 years. She had brief periods of remission but was faced with her biggest challenge in December of 2024, when her cancer metastasized to the lungs. Family means everything to her.

Stella’s Wish Foundation has arranged for a photo session with the family near their home in North Dakota.

Kimberly has put up a fight with small cell lung cancer, and she never even smoked. Her daughter wishes to provide her with a sunset beach experience or a sea turtle sighting or dolphin cruise or something beach themed before the words of the oncologist ring true. They have only have been given about two weeks.

Stella’s Wish has sent a VISA gift card to help with travel to visit their family in Alabama, where they can go to the beach.

Jay Stage IV terminal cancer and is trying to raise funds take a trip with his family to see sites and extended family in Washington, D.C.

Stella’s Wish has granted him a trip to Washington, D.C.

We just finished the trip to DC to see my family. We had a great time and couldn’t have done it without the help of Stella’s Wish. My kids were able to meet their cousins for the first time and they just had a blast with them. Attached are some photos from our trip. Thank you so much! – Jay Restifo 

The DalPra family was nominated for a wish by friends. Adam, the father, has stage IV parotid cancer. He is doing weekly chemo treatments and monthly scans until the chemo no longer works. He has lost his job and money is very tight. They are a very musical and talented family and the 3 girls are desperate to see Hamilton on Broadway.  They certainly could use an adventure and some joy.

Stella’s Wish Foundation has granted their wish with a 2-night stay in New York City and tickets to a Broadway show.

Mike has been fighting stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the mandible since Oct 2023. He has under gone reconstructive jaw bone surgery and radiation. The cancer has come back and it’s metastasized in his lung. Doctors have no hope in curing it and has given his very little time here on earth. His one last wish is to go see his dad in Michigan and see the ocean one last time.

Stella’s Wish has granted Mike a family trip for 6 people to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with a $700 gift card to help with gas and travel expenses.

Allison was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in Feb 2019 at age 38. She had no prior history of cancer and was a mother of young children (ages 6 months and 4 years old) planning out their future as a family. After several months of back pain that wasn’t improving, she went to the ER, expecting to find something like a slipped disc. Instead, she was told that she had cancer spread extensively throughout my body, at the time including lungs, liver, and entire skeletal structure. Instead of going to work the next day, she headed to Boston for biopsies and emergency surgeries, where it was confirmed she had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Despite being warned not to google results we did it anyway, and immediately started to panic as they read she had less than a 25% chance of surviving 5 years.

Allison wrote “The first year had several scary setbacks, but luckily I pulled through those initial treatments and got back to a point that I was stable with a moderate quality of life with my kids. We learned to live a new normal, with less physical activities and I gave up my hard earned career to save my energy, allow me the time I needed to attend an endless barrage or treatments, and limit my pain for meaningful family experiences. Giving up my career gives me more time for family, but limits finances for those special family outings.”

This year, Allison is celebrating making it to the milestone of 5 years of survival that seemed so impossible. She has had recent setbacks, including discovery of a brain tumor on Christmas Eve 2022, but thankfully radiation and recent laser brain surgery continue to buy her more time. These setbacks are constant reminders to make memories now while it is possible.

Allison made a wish to take a meaningful family trip to build lasting, meaningful memories for her girls to have in the future. “No amount of time will ever be enough to make up for the years I’m going to miss with my girls (now age 5 and 9), but I want to make the last of our time together as special as possible.  Traveling in celebration of the last 5 years together feels like the perfect time for this experience.”

Stella’s Wish Foundation granted Allison’s wish and helped them with a family experience at Story Land Hotel and Theme Park in New Hampshire.