What was initially believed to be a bout with Mono turned into a much more devastating diagnosis for Hanna Holland. In December 2014, doctors told her she had leukemia.
“Scared to death,” Michelle Holland said of her daughter’s diagnosis.
Michelle said Hanna will continue to receive chemotherapy treatments through the spring of 2017. Although the journey has been difficult, Michelle added that during one of Hanna’s hospital visits in Fort Worth, she learned about the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Hanna was eligible for a wish.
“I wanted to see (like) really pretty water since we don’t have a lot of water here and then I wanted to see sand, like a beach,” she said. “(I) looked it up and that’s where I wanted to go.”
In August, the Holland family left for Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas. They spent a week riding jet skis, swimming with dolphins, snorkeling and eating delicious food.
“We went to the water park every day and then we went to the beach every day,” Hanna said. “Our dolphin’s name was Kelly, she was 42-years-old. Her skin felt so weird!”
Hanna couldn’t label one specific part of the trip as her favorite, saying “all of it” when she was asked.
“What Make-A-Wish does for these families is like a once in a lifetime thing,” Michelle said.
“I mean everything that Make-A-Wish does is just outstanding. They were super to work with and just, they treat you like you’re royalty,” Justin Holland, Hanna’s dad, added.
Watch the associated video to see more from Hanna’s wish.
For more information on the Make-A-Wish Foundation, including how to refer a child for a wish, contact the Lubbock office at (806) 785-9474.