Wish Kid Debuts in His Own World War II Film Just in Time For Veteran's Day

Make-A-Wish^® has granted more than 250,000 wishes since its founding in 1980 – many of which have involved the military. Wish kids often look up to service men and women because of the bravery and heroism they proudly display. Alyssa, who wished to be in the Army; Jose, who wished to be a Marine; and Riley, who wished to train with the Army Rangers are just a few examples.

Most recently, wish kid Jacob wished to star in a World War II film, and it debuted just in time for Veteran’s Day.

Seven-year-old Jacob has always been patriotic, but he was first inspired to star in a WWII film after seeing “Saving Private Ryan” with his dad.

After meeting with him, Jacob’s wish granters from Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles began their planning, and in July, Jacob donned a personalized military uniform and met a film crew at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, Calif., to make his movie, “Protecting Our Country’s Fate".

In early November, after film production was complete, Jacob attended the premiere of his film. In addition to starring in the 4-minute feature film, Jacob also decided on its title.  

Jacob’s performance in the film offers no indication to audiences that just days before rolling, he was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for kidney cancer.

Starring in his own World War II film offered Jacob a chance to forget about his treatment and just have fun.

In “Protecting Our Country’s Fate,” Jacob wins the war for his country. Meanwhile, in his personal life, Jacob has also recently won a different war: his war on cancer. 

You can watch "Protecting Our Country's Fate" on YouTube now.

To learn more about Make-A-Wish and how you can make wishes like Jacob's come true, please visit http://wish.org.

ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world's leading children's charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 38 minutes. It has granted more than 250,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,000 in 2013 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at www.wish.org to learn more.