Jordan Martinez’s wish was unique. She didn’t want to go to Disney World or go on a shopping spree. Instead, the 13-year-old wished to meet the cast of her favorite television show.
“I tried to choose something for me and my family to do,” she explained. “I chose that so we could all enjoy the trip.”
The Evans Middle School student is fighting a rare form of cancer and said she learned about Make-A-Wish through a child life specialist at Covenant Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Her wish granters, Gabrielle Ruffeno and Julia Burris, who are both Texas Tech students and members of Chi Omega, submitted Jordan’s request and when they learned the non-profit was going to make her wish come true, the two set out to surprise the teen with the news.
“We kind of set it up to where all of her friends and family came to the (Chi Omega) lodge and we kind of had food and stuff and her mom made it a surprise to where she got a phone call on the phone, pretending it was one of us and was like, ‘oh Jordan, we have to go to the Chi O lodge to finish up some paperwork,'” Ruffeno said. “The family comes in and we open up both doors and Jordan is right there and all of her friends and family were there.”
Five days later, Jordan and her family were on an airplane to California. The second day of their trip was spent on the set of her favorite television show.
“We got to be picked up by a limo,” she said. “Then we got to meet them (the cast) and we got to see them act. I didn’t expect to do much, just to go see them, but then it was just so much more (than that).”
Jordan is now back in Lubbock but she brought back with her more than memories. The cast gifted her with a “swag bag” full of goodies.
“It had like books that he wrote, a hat that I wear like every single day and then just a script of the first episode of the first season. Then, just a couple of days ago, they sent me another script with all their signatures on it,” Jordan said.
Hearing about all the fun was fulfilling for Ruffeno and Burris. They called the wish granting process “humbling” and agreed that the experience has been the start of something special.
“It’s kind of something that we want to continue to be a part of Jordan’s life and see how she’s doing,” Ruffeno said.
“(I) just love them. They’re a big part of my family,” Jordan added.
To see more of Jordan’s wish, watch the associated video. For more information on the Make-A-Wish Foundation, call the Lubbock office at (806) 785-9474.
