To mark the 15th annual World Wish Day, Make-A-Wish Canada presented a 12-year-old from Calgary with the trip of her dreams on Wednesday morning. Sawyer-Mae Symon and her family will be headed to Super Nintendo World in Orlando, Florida next month — a dream since the park opened last year.
A Dream Come True
Sawyer's mother, Ashley Glessing, described the experience of seeing her daughter's wish come true as "hard to put into words." She expressed deep emotion, saying, "She's been through too much in her little life, and she still has more to go. To see her be able to have these moments in her life — it just means the world to me."
Medical Challenges
Sawyer has 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a genetic disorder causing midline defects. She has faced heart defects and scoliosis, undergoing five open-heart surgeries by age 12, with four occurring before her first birthday. "She had her first open heart surgery when she was six days old," Glessing noted. Last year, she had her aortic valve replaced and is preparing for spinal surgery and a halo brace this summer.
Despite these challenges, Glessing described Sawyer as "the happiest, coolest, most fun kid. She's a big ball of sunshine. She's resilient, amazing. You would never know that she's been through all of this."
Passion for Nintendo
Sawyer also has autism spectrum disorder, leading her to fixate on Mario and the Nintendo universe. Her passion began around age four or five when she was introduced to the games while recovering from eye surgery. "She had to just stay at home, stay chill, so we decided to pop her in front of the Switch for something to do," Glessing recalled. "It just took off from there. She was just obsessed with Mario and Mario Kart."
The Wish Reveal
Sawyer's day started with a scavenger hunt around Southcentre Mall in a Mario Kart-themed car, collecting coins and clues that led to PowerPlay cinemas, where the trip was revealed. She called it "the best wish I could have wished for my whole life." The part she looks forward to most is seeing Donkey Kong in real life. "Donkey Kong — he's just my boy. He's my monkey boy," she laughed. "I just love Super Mario."
After the reveal, Sawyer and her six-year-old sister, Zelda, watched The Super Mario Galaxy Movie at the theatre. "I had lots of fun today. I love Make-A-Wish," Sawyer said. "This is the best day I ever had."
