It's Giving Tuesday, a global movement encouraging people to give back to charitable organizations and help in their communities. NBC Bay Area is taking this time to highlight the work of our local Make-A-Wish chapter: Make-A-Wish of the Greater Bay Area. We sat down with one South Bay family to learn about the difference granting a wish can make.
At the Sunken Gardens Golf Course, 10-year-old Sunnyvale resident Edison Wu has been working on his golf game over the past few months
“I’ve gotten pretty good, I guess," Edison noted.
Like many kids his age, Edison is curious and has a long list of hobbies.
"I like to do my golfing and taekwondo," Edison said.
"And I’m also in Cub Scouts, I like camping a lot and the s'mores are pretty good there," he added.
His parents said it's hard to tell from Edison's cheerful disposition just how much he's been through.
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"He’s really been a trooper, we’re really proud of him," said Edison's mom, Shari Shimizu.
Edison was born with a rare congenital heart defect: pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PAIVS). He has had three open heart surgeries, the first when he was just two days old.
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Edison's father, Eddie Wu, explained that the surgeries effectively re-routed the "plumbing" in Edison's heart.
“The blockage and the replumbing rendered half his heart not utilized, so he’s essentially a kid with half a working heart," Eddie noted.
That means Edison gets winded faster than other kids his age and has to limit some of his activities. It's also why his parents have been steering him towards activities like golf that will be less strenuous.
"He is doing as good as he can be doing right now, which is probably the hardest thing: to not know what the future is gonna be like for him," Shari said.
Edison applied and was accepted to have a wish granted by Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area. He had always wanted to go to the theme parks in Florida, so Make-A-Wish coordinated a trip for him and his family to Disney World and Universal Studios.
On the flight over, the pilots let Edison visit the cockpit and then gave him a shoutout over the loudspeaker.
"I was like, so amazed, and it was like the best day of my life going to Florida,” Edison recalled.
Edison said that the hotel, the parks, and the rides were even better than he'd imagined.
"They gave me this pass and it was like I get to go in all the fast lanes, and it was so awesome," Edison said, marveling at how many times he was able to go on his favorite rides.
Beyond the adrenaline rush, Edison's mom, dad, and younger sister say this trip gave all of them memories together that will last a lifetime.
"Just seeing Edison so happy, like the entire time we were there, he felt like a rockstar--which he is rightfully so,” Edison's mom said.
"Before I did [the Wish trip] I thought I was like the odd one out, but now that I went to Disneyworld and all the Orlando theme parks, I thought, ‘it’s pretty good being a heart kid,’” Edison noted.
This holiday season, Edison's family is hoping you'll consider making wishes come true for other kids. Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area is celebrating its 40th year. The nonprofit grants around 300 wishes annually for kids with critical illnesses across 17 counties in Northern California.
"I was blown away by what they thought of and how special they make the kids feel," noted Edison's dad.
This holiday season, Edison and his family are reminiscing on their memories in Florida. Edison said knowing how many people are in his corner helps fuel his drive to keep moving forward.
