Wish of the Week – Elliot

By MWF/PIO
August 14, 2009

There is always one place that can raise Elliot’s spirits: Duluth, Minnesota. After he was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 2 ½ years old, Elliot’s parents would take him to Duluth’s Canal Park near the shore of Lake Superior. Watching the boats and the lift bridges was always a respite from his debilitating chemotherapy treatments.

Though Elliot and his family moved away, he never forgot those happy moments watching ships and hearing the sounds of horns blaring over the water. He told volunteers from the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of Minnesota that his fondest wish was to drive one of those boats near his birthplace in Duluth.

The Shipping News

Angela King-Jones, wish coordinator for the chapter, called Duluth’s mayor to ask permission to grant Elliot’s wish. The story immediately caught the community’s imagination. The mayor was happy to help, and the staff came up with creative ways to fulfill and enhance the boy’s wish. “The community really rallied around Elliot and his family,” King-Jones said. “The mayor granted special permission for Elliot to blow the horn at the lift bridge.”

Elliot and his family boarded the tour boat Vista Star. Captain Chris, who they knew from previous excursions, gave them a warm greeting. He and his crew gave Elliot the VIP treatment and presented him with his own captain’s hat. And the captain let Elliot sound the horn requesting the bridge lift. Under the captain’s supervision, Elliot piloted the ship past the bridge. Everyone celebrated with a pizza party aboard the Vista Star.

Bring on the Noise

At the massive Aerial Lift Bridge (one of Elliot’s favorite maritime attractions), Elliot climbed into the control booth where bridge Supervisor Ryan Beamer let him push the big black button as many times as he wanted. The blasts startled tourists, commuters and seagulls out of their daily routines. With every blast of the horn, Elliot’s smile got even wider.

Many Duluth residents already knew what was happening – the local media had written about his unusual wish. So every blast of the horn gave them a reason to smile, too.

Thanks for the Memories

Sara and Aron, Elliot’s parents, were thrilled with the warm reception the family experienced in Duluth. Part of Elliot’s wish included staying at the South Pier Inn so he could have an up-close view of the ships passing under the bridge. “So many people helped us to be present during our trip and to spend time as a family … and to make Elliot’s trip such a magical time,” they wrote in a thank-you letter published in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Elliot also rode in the locomotive of a train, visited local landmarks including the Duluth Children’s Museum and Great Lakes Aquarium, and enjoyed a meal at the New Scenic Café.

Elliot is now in a three-year maintenance phase of treatment and is doing very well, according to his parents.

Source: Make A Wish Foundation

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com