 14-year-old Selene, who suffers from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, has been dreaming of her Quinciñera as long as she can remember. Kids Wish Network helped make her dream a reality.
Kids Wish Network: A Special Quinciñera for Selene
By Press Release, Kids Wish Network
NOVEMBER 16, 2006Hesperia, CA14-year-old Selene, who suffers from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, has been dreaming of her Quinciñera as long as she can remember. After an exhausting and excruciating year of painful medical treatments, this extraordinary young girl couldn’t believe it when her special wish finally came true.
For Selene’s family, a Quinciñera, the traditional celebration of a girl’s journey from childhood to maturity, is a pivotal moment in a young girl’s life. During these exciting celebrations, girls join with family and friends in an elaborate ceremony to enjoy gifts, delicious food, music and dancing and plenty of laughter. Selene’s Quinciñera was especially meaningful to her, thanks to Kids Wish Network and some very amazing members of her own community.
In November of 2005, Selene was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, which is a cancer of the cartilage. It is the second most common primary bone cancer. An aggressive disease, it has also resulted in tumors in Selene’s thighs and abdomen. Selene has endured frequent chemotherapy treatments and doctors continue to monitor her condition carefully.
Not long ago, a social worker at Loma Linda University Medical Center where Selene receives treatment referred her to Kids Wish Network, an organization in Florida that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. Selene was approved for a wish with the charity and then asked what she wanted most of all. Selene didn’t hesitate for a moment: she wanted a Quinciñera!
Selene’s Kids Wish Network wish coordinator, Kim, immediately got to work. After making a few phone calls, Kim was able to find some extremely generous and kind-hearted folks in the area who were eager to help make Selene’s wish extra special.
JL Walker Productions hosted the entire event, which was done in a Cinderella theme. Selene, looking every bit like a true princess, was outfitted in a beautiful flowing white gown and a jeweled tiara. On the big day, she was picked up in a shining white stage coach and ferried to Riverside’s historical Crestmore Manor.
At the beautiful mansion, Selene posed for pictures with all of the party guests, dined on a delicious buffet of food, and danced with her friends until almost midnight. The entire evening was truly magical and proved to be even more than Selene had ever imagined.
Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Selene’s wish extra special: Body Rituals Studio, Carlson Craft Invitations, Carving Ice Anaheim, Creative Cakes Orange, Cannon Video, Crestmore Manor Riverside, David’s Bridal Ontario, Enchanted Memories Photography, Grandma’s Sugarplums, G and F Carriage Riverside, Jomar Linens Ontario, JZ Rentals San Bernardino, La Bella Hair Salon, Mayesh Santa Ana, Night Life Productions, The Nutty Cookie, Purvis Gallery Upland, Rockwell’s, Salon Meza, Special Event Lines Anaheim, and of course, the staff from JL Walker Productions!
Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who may be in need of its wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004. For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit their website at www.kidswishnetwork.org
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