Carlisle, KY – A young boy with a life-threatening illness who wanted his very own playhouse recently had his wish come true with the help of national charity Kids Wish Network.
Trenton was born with Spina Bifida, an illness which causes different degrees of paralysis, ambulatory problems, loss of sensation and deformation of the hips, knees and feet. Trenton uses a wheelchair for mobility because he is paralyzed from the waist down. Along with his Spina Bifida, he also has Hydrocephalus – the buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the skull – which required doctors to place a shunt in his skull that relieves pressure. He has had four surgeries to revise the shunt, and he also has progressive atrophy of his left kidney.
Trenton’s great aunt had been donating to Kids Wish Network for quite some time before she found out that Trenton would be eligible to have a wish granted by the charity. But as soon as she found out, she wasted no time in referring Trenton for a wish. It didn’t take long for a Kids Wish Network Wish Referral Specialist to contact Trenton’s mother, Leann.
Once the application was processed, Wish Coordinator Jen contacted the family about getting Trenton’s wish started. Trenton, whose favorite show is “Little House on the Prairie” and who loves horses, wished for his own playhouse.
“I think he chose the playhouse because he is the type of person who likes to have his own space. There are four [other] children and he doesn’t get a lot of time to himself and the playhouse would be a quite place for him to go,” Leann said.
Along with Wish Funding Specialist Doris, Jen got to work and found a contractor who would be willing to build the playhouse. Materials were donated from various companies, including lumber, concrete and windows. Jen even set up a party for Trenton and his family members to celebrate the finished product. She found a local baker who made a cake for the party which had a replica of Trenton in his wheelchair, the playhouse and Trenton’s horse on it.
“The party went great. And the cake was absolutely out of this world,” said Leann.
Trenton said that he enjoyed the party and the cake.
“We had a lot of people there and we mostly sat outside and talked,” he said. “And I ate cake.”
Leann said that Trenton’s wish came true and she is very pleased with how everything turned out.
“As many problems as Trenton has had and everything he has been through, it’s just amazing the love and the support that children like him really do receive from people that you don t even know,” she said.
So what is Trenton’s favorite thing about his brand new playhouse?
“I can just sit in there and have peace and quiet. We are going to put a TV in there and I can watch whatever I want,” he said.
Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Trenton’s wish extra special: Home Depot- Richmond Rd., Home Depot- Harrodsburg Rd, Hall Construction, The Fairy Cake Mother, Tri-County Lumber, Congelton Lumber, horsepresence.com, 1~2~1 Marketing Services Group/Homestead Design, Inc., Elks Lodge #2819, Elks Lodge #438, Sam’s Club #8188, VFW Franklin Sousley Post 1834, VFW Simon Kenton Post 2734, VFW Boonesboro Post 7098, Woodmen of the World #936
Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who may be in need of its wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004. For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit us at www.kidswishnetwork.org
