700 Bennett Elementary students anxiously awaited 8-year-old Tatum Schulte’s arrival at the Tiger Pit gym. Little did Tatum know, they were about to tell her that her wish was coming true.
As Tatum and her family walked through the gym doors, she was in the spotlight. The students were on the edge of their seats, ready to give her the surprise of a lifetime.
Tatum has fought and beat cancer, so this news couldn’t come at a better time.
“One of Tatum’s big things is to just get away a little bit. We spent so much time on the road, in the hospital and confined to our home in the last eight months. We went through the chemotherapy, so for our whole family just to get away,” said Travis Schulte, Tatum’s dad.
Tatum’s wish was simple: to leave West Texas. If she can enjoy the palm trees and pineapples, that’s just icing on the cake.
Tatum said, “We will go to the beach and we’ll probably play and do some stuff.” One of the adventures she’s got planned while she’s in Hawaii is to swim with the dolphins.
Students at Bennett Elementary School raised $9,000 to send her to Hawaii. It’s a moment Tatum and her family won’t soon forget.
“The way her face lit up. The way they told her about her wish going to Hawaii, she was ready to jump up and down. She’s been on cloud nine ever since. For someone who has gone through so much like she has, just to see her light up a room,” said Schulte.
They take off for paradise sometime next spring. It costs an average of $9,000 to grant a wish like Tatum’s. If you’d like to make a donation or volunteer, call the Make-A-Wish office at (806)785-9474.
