I Wish to Go... to go to the Kennedy Space Center/I wish to see a Space Shuttle Launch

---

Not many kids know what it's like to explore outer-space, but many astronauts probably don't know what it's like to battle cancer.

Ten-year-old Alex and 12-year-old Luke, who are both fighting Leukemia, have exhibited enough courage and strength to wrap around the moon. Luke and Alex also share a common curiosity for how things work, which helps to explain their curiously similar wishes.

Alex: I Wish to Go… to See a Shuttle Launch!

Alex and his family awoke at 2 a.m. to get to the Space Shuttle Discovery launch on time. At 4 a.m., they gathered together on the launch site lawn and, guided by a booming voice from the loud speakers, counted down with the crowd. Then, in an instant, the dark morning sky exploded with a burst of colors. "All Alex could do was watch," said his mom, Julie. "He thought it was so cool."

He spent the rest of his time at the Kennedy Space Center, where he found his new favorite toy—a space shuttle simulator, which shook him up and rattled him upside down—just like a real astronaut! Later, Alex and his family spent two days at Disney World^®, took a relaxing sojourn to Cocoa Beach and had lunch with an astronaut.

But for his mom, the best part of the trip was seeing Alex play in the water with his sisters, both in the warm waves at Cocoa Beach and in the relaxing swimming pool at their hotel. "He was just smiles the whole time," Julie said. "It was the first time he could get in the swimming pool since he was diagnosed."

According to Julie, the whole family now has their trip together as a memory to treasure. "It was nice to spend time as a family and have it be around Alex," she said. "It was great to just have fun and enjoy things with him."

Luke: I Wish to Go… to the Kennedy Space Center!

Luke's wish was no surprise to his family; he's a born-to-be-engineer with a deep-seeded love of rockets. But, as a kid who spends much of his time in the hospital, a trip to the Kennedy Space Center, and much less Florida, was not something they had foreseen happening in his near future.

"It was a place he'd always thought about going and we never thought we'd get a chance to," said his mom, Vicky.

So, when he got to make his wish, Luke knew he wanted to do something that would include his whole family. "His brother came along and that was a real treat." A vacation to Florida with the Space Center as their main stop was the perfect solution. According to his mom, they checked out every exhibit in the center, but the rockets stole Luke's attention the longest.

While in Florida, Luke and his family also spent a few days at the happiest place on Earth (Disney World^®, of course), where they were given the VIP treatment and a fast pass that launched them to the front of every line. As much as Luke and his family enjoyed Disney World^®, Luke's head was still in the stars; the Space Center was where he belonged.

Not to mention, the trip was a perfect respite from Luke's treatment. "The timing was perfect," his mom said. "It's a great experience and it comes at a time when everyone is preoccupied with what's going on with the child."

Read a note from Luke and his family.

Special thanks: Anthony's Home Port, Thrifty Airport Parking, Alaska Airlines, Hilton Cocoa Beach, Walt Disney World^® and Kennedy Space Center.

Special thanks to Alex's volunteers: John Barriball and Shellie Barger

Special thanks to Luke's volunteers: Gayle Tucker and Lauren Gibler

Photos courtesy of the wish families.

Back to Meet Our Wish Kids