Wish Kids Give Back: Cynthia’s Wish Inspires Medical Research

Two years ago, Make-A-Wish® granted Cynthia’s wish to donate to medical research. Cynthia has a life-threatening kidney disease that required travel for treatments, and her one true wish is for other children to be able to receive their treatment locally. The long-term goal of Cynthia’s donation was to bring a pediatric nephrologist to her North Texas hometown so other children wouldn’t have to travel long distances for kidney treatments. Two years later, Cynthia finally shook the hand of El Paso’s new pediatric nephrologist.

The beginning of a wish to give back

In 2012, Cynthia was 16 and struggling to balance schoolwork, family time and a personal life with the travel required for treatment of a life-threatening kidney disease. At the time, she had met with her wish granters from Make-A-Wish North Texas and had a shortlist of her favorite celebrity idols, contemplating who she might wish to meet.

Cynthia ultimately realized her one true wish is be to bring the treatment to kids like her, right in their hometown of El Paso.

Cynthia’s wish to donate to medical research came in the form of a donation to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC). The donation would be used for nephrology research as an incentive for a physician to relocate to El Paso to teach, conduct research using the funding from her wish, and most importantly, treat children battling life-threatening illnesses like Cynthia.

The experience also brought Cynthia to realize she wanted to be a doctor. After Cynthia presented the donation to the TTUHSC, she had the opportunity to tour the labs, meet the dean one-on-one, and shadow a physician.

A give back wish comes to fruition

In August 2014, TTUHSC brought pediatric nephrologist Dr. Lozano-Guzman to El Paso, where he’ll be able to care for children locally, just as Cynthia had wished.

In January 2015, Cynthia, now 18, visited TTUHSC to meet Dr. Lozano-Guzman and shake his hand. Now, each time a local child needs kidney treatment, traveling for care will no longer be the only option. Cynthia’s wish will keep giving.

To learn how you can help make impactful wishes like Cynthia’s come true, please visit wish.org.