When young Aaryan was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia in 2015, it began a difficult journey for parents and his parents Jenny and Ali. Their once happy boy became, and had to endure a number of tough medical appointments and treatments. As a parent, you wish the very best for your child. Aaryan’s parents came to Make-A-Wish looking for an experience that would help bring back his smile and help him to heal.
Aaryan absolutely loves Marvel characters and Pokemon, so it quickly became clear that what he wished for most was to go on a Marvel-themed Disney Cruise, departing from New York City (the home of the Pokémon flagship store). His wish did not disappoint! Highlights included visiting the Pokemon store in New York City (3 times!), meeting Mickey Mouse on board the ship, eating Mickey Mouse pancakes for breakfast (a breakfast item that has been requested at home since his return!), meeting and receiving Spider-Man’s on his ball cap, and collecting special collectors pins on board the ship!
This trip had an incredible impact on Aaryan and his family. In the words of his mom, Jenny, “For one whole week we didn’t think about Aplastic Anemia. It is a little cloud that hangs over us at home. On our trip, we didn’t think about it once! Musket Transport and Make-A-Wish, thank you so much for allowing us to have this opportunity to heal, to give us strength, so we can continue our battle against Aaryan’s illness. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much. We hope you continue to do what you do, and help family’s heal and get over what they’re going through.”
Here’s a video about Aaryan’s journey and how Musket Transport was involved.