When Keannu began having vision trouble, his family thought he had a concussion – as the high school quarterback, he had taken a few hits during a football game. Then, he began to feel severely sick. His worried family rushed him to the hospital, where they learned Keannu had a brain tumor that required emergency surgery.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and we’re honoring the bravery of our wish kids with a look back at some of our favorite victories. Cancer robs a child of so much, but a wish experience can give them the strength and resilience to keep fighting and even overcome their illness.

Months of treatment and therapy followed. Then, the promise of a wish brought light back into Keannu’s life: more than anything, he wished to play football again. So Make-A-Wish^® partnered with a virtual reality company to create an experience that would bring Keannu back to the field.  

Big wishes like this take a lot of support, which is where people like you come in. Salesforce will MATCH your gift 4X if you give today, so please donate to help grant more wishes for waiting kids like Keannu.

On his wish day, Keannu put on his VR helmet and grinned as he played his favorite sport once again. Keannu glowed with joy as he scored a touchdown to win the game, and when he took off his helmet, he was surrounded by the people he loves most.  

One of Keannu’s teammates said, “We believe in you. You never gave up on us, so we will never give up on you.”  

You’ve played such a critical role on our wish-granting team, and we hope you’ll help grant more wishes today. Make a gift now that goes 4X as far, and help give more kids the hope, strength and resilience to keep fighting and even overcome their critical illnesses.

Wishfully, 

Make-A-Wish