Bergen Teen's Wish Granted by Make-A-Wish New Jersey

A local child’s wish to go to Italy was recently granted by Make-A-Wish New Jersey, whose mission is to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. 17-year-old Kyle’s wish was granted thanks to the 2019 Jersey Mike’s Subs “Month of Giving” Campaign, which raised over $458,000 for Make-A-Wish New Jersey in March.

Kyle, of Saddle River, was diagnosed during his sophomore year in 2018 with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, that turned his entire world upside down. Kyle had gone from being a typical high school kid to suddenly facing the terrifying realities of a life-threatening illness and forced into conversations about doctors, hospitals, treatment options.

“Within nine days of his diagnosis, he was facing surgery,” Kyle’s mother Paige shared. “It was emotional for all of us.”

Kyle would undergo limb salvage surgery on his right leg and three lung surgeries over 17 months, as well as endure 22 rounds of grueling chemotherapy. For over a year, Kyle’s family took life one day at a time and met each challenge head on with a positive attitude. Even when faced with an unknown and frightening “spot” on a follow up scan that, after many reviews and surgery turned out to be nothing, Kyle persevered through the emotional mountains he was forced to climb.

Kyle’s family knew there would be a great need for something special to mend the emotional scars that Kyle would endure through his courageous battle. When Make-A-Wish entered Kyle’s life and he was asked that powerful question, “if you could have one wish, what would it be?”, his answer was one he had been thinking of since his initial diagnosis – a trip to Italy with his family.

Kyle was currently studying AP European History in school and had become deeply intrigued by the incredible history and accomplishments of the Roman Empire. His wish was to see all the breathtaking sites for himself, alongside those who stood by him during the most difficult times. Since his initial diagnosis and his family’s plans to make a special trip together when he was once again healthy, Kyle had his mind set on Italy. So when Make-A-Wish entered the picture, it seemed to his family that this trip was simply “meant to be.”

On his trip to historical Italy, Kyle didn’t waste any time. His itinerary was packed with sites and activities, including touring Rome, and specifically the Coliseum (his favorite). But that was not all. Kyle and his family visited the beaches of Amalfi, Pompeii, and Kyle was even able to relax and enjoy the beauty of Sorrento while swimming in the Gulf of Naples off the private boat tour in Capri, putting the difficult and emotional memories of his past behind him. His mother recalled watching Kyle jump off the boat into the water and treading, carefree, as a highlight.

“The trip was effortless,” shared Kyle’s mom, Paige. “Our family enjoyed every minute of this amazing experience. Kyle loved touring the Coliseum with our tour guide as well as seeing all the beautiful buildings, churches and historical sites in Rome, and the hotels in Rome and Sorrento were better than anything we could have hoped for. The impact of this wish was, in a word, happiness. We were together as a family, away from the hospitals, and we were finally on the other side. It was a new beginning.”

“I’m so grateful to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for granting me a trip to Italy this past August,” Kyle shared. “After spending a long and difficult year and a half in and out of the hospital, I appreciated being able to visit all of the amazing historical sites that I had learned about in school. It was the trip of a lifetime!”

Kyle’s wish was granted thanks to the funds raised by local Jersey Mike’s Subs restaurants as part of this year’s “Month of Giving” campaign. In March, 67 Jersey Mike’s Subs restaurants throughout New Jersey joined forces with Make-A-Wish New Jersey, raising vital funds needed to aid the organization in their mission. The month-long customer-donation campaign, which culminated with the “Day of Giving”, a day when Jersey Mike’s Subs restaurants donated 100% of the day’s sales, raised enough funds to grant nearly 50 wishes to kids like Kyle.

Make-A-Wish New Jersey has granted nearly 11,000 wishes since its inception in 1983. The generous support of corporations like Jersey Mike’s Subs is critical to the organization’s continued success.

For more information about Make-A-Wish New Jersey, visit nj.wish.org.