COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Today was a special day for three-year-old Mason Burnette. He got to see his favorite restaurant, Raising Canes, for some chicken and family fun. When he got there, however, there was a great surprise waiting for him.
Thanks to the nonprofit Make-A-Wish, Mason and his family will be heading to San Diego at the end of this month to see the ocean for the very first time.
Adrianna Pollard, Mason's mom, says, “He loves water, so that’s a big thing. He keeps wanting to put his life jacket on, we’re trying to let him know that’s what the little boards are for."
Life hasn’t been easy for Mason or his family. When he was born in 2019, his parents found out he was born with a single ventricle, a heart condition where only one part of his heart can pump out enough blood for his body.
Thankfully, he had a life-saving transplant at just five and a half months old. Now, he’s going to Legoland, a safari park, and meeting some family for the first time. While he might not fully understand his wish, he’s still excited about the trip.
“He knows that he gets to fly soon, to the ocean! But what that is to him, he’s totally unsure. He doesn’t even know, it’s gonna be so exciting for him, to watch him go through it really and experience it for himself," says Pollard.
Debbie Gross, a volunteer wish granter from Make-A-Wish, says that gifts like these can take a long time, especially since COVID-19. But on days like today, all the hard work pays off.
"It’s wonderful, to play with the kids and see the excitement on their faces, and just the parents. They’re so wonderful and so appreciative and stuff. And knowing they’re gonna share this time with their child, it’s so much excitement," says Gross.
Pollard says he still goes in every month for extensive treatments, testing, rehab, and therapy. But that doesn't stop Mason from being feisty like any other toddler his age.
"He’s got something in him, he’s got a drive like I’ve never seen somebody have, he’s definitely a multi-talented person, I hope he grows up to be lots of things, lots of different things, in his life.”
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