Reese Landry, a 14-year-old from Prairieville, Louisiana is fulfilling her dream of visiting New York City with support from the Make-A-Wish Foundation and local CPA firm Mauldin & Jenkins.
When asked, “What is the first thing that you want to do in New York City?”
“Food, like Little Italy, Chinatown. Just…because there’s so many different cultures and different foods to try and everything,” she said.
Reese is finally able to make her big-city dreams come true after a successful liver transplant. She was born with a rare liver disease, and procedures began when she was just 3 weeks old. Despite her health challenges, Reese is a typical teenager who loves dancing and is active in her school’s color guard.
The CPA firm and Make-A-Wish raised more than $200,000 to grant her wish.
“We were sort of shocked, I guess, in a way. We were excited, but I guess, maybe in a way felt undeserving, you know, just because things are going so well,” said Jeremy Landry, Reese’s father.
Shelly Millwee, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana, said, “Make-A-Wish is absolutely more than just a nice thing to do for a child. It is a vehicle, a journey for hope and strength. When kids have really tough outcomes or very tough situations that they’re battling within their health and their families.”
Make-A-Wish says they are working on granting 300 wishes in Louisiana.
READ MORE:How Make-A-Wish helped a Louisiana teen reach her big city goal
