You’re given the chance to make one wish for anything in the world. With so many options out there, what would your one wish be?
For seven-year-old East Chicago Make-A-Wish kid Amelia, the answer was simple: a puppy.
“I started working with Amelia and her family in September to October of last year, and she did not know what she wanted for her wish at the time,” said Make-A-Wish Wish Granter Lorri Zimmer. “Which, I mean, is a big decision. For anything in the world, what would you wish for, right?”
Shortly after Christmas, Amelia knew she wanted her wish to be a puppy, but didn’t know right away what breed she wanted. She first thought she wanted a pomeranian, then a chihuahua, but then her heart settled on a toy poodle, and Zimmer and the Make-A-Wish team got to work to make Amelia’s dream a reality.
Zimmer explained that the Make-A-Wish Foundation has a national relationship with a company called Puppy Spot, which works with only the top 1% of breeders in the country. The child is then able to look at the available dogs through the program to find their new furry, four-legged friend.
“Whenever we have someone who wants a puppy, we have to go on Puppy Spot and figure out which puppy they want,” Zimmer said. “Amelia was looking through and then she saw this dog and said, ‘I want this dog; I want this dog so bad!’”
Then, on Wednesday, March 2, Amelia’s wish was granted at McAfee Animal Hospital in Valparaiso. With eyes wide on the brink of tears and excitement in the air, Veterinarian Dr. Brooke McAfee presented Amelia with the puppy she had her heart set on for months.
‘I love her!” Amelia said, cradling the puppy close in her arms.
“I was tearing up watching it all happen,” said Dr. Larry McAfee, Brooke McAfee’s father and retired veterinarian from the animal hospital. “I had goosebumps down my arms because she was all over Amelia just giving her kisses and climbing all over her.”
Amelia also had the perfect name picked out for her new best friend: Wish.
“The dog is little,” Zimmer said. “So she was going to name her after this cartoon that she likes and then she said to her mom, ‘You know, I looked at her picture today, and she doesn't look like that. She looks like a wish and this is my wish, so I'm going to name her Wish.’”
After Wish flew in from the St. Louis, Mo. area, Zimmer was able to meet the puppy in-person and knew right away there was no other dog more suited for Amelia than Wish.
“As soon as I picked this dog up, I looked at her, and I was like, 'You are a Wish because you’re super chill,’” Zimmer said. “She likes to be cradled in my arms and just snuggled up to me. She just kept looking at me and giving me little teeny baby licks. And I'm like, ‘Amelia is going to love her because she wanted a little dog she could take everywhere and sleep with.’”
Zimmer has brought her dogs to McAfee Animal Hospital for years, and in that time, she’s fostered meaningful relationships with many of the staff members, including Brooke McAfee herself. Zimmer was so impressed with everything about the hospital that she knew without a doubt she wanted them involved with Amelia’s wish.
“Lorri has been part of Make-A-Wish for years, and she actually reached out to me because she brings her dogs to me, and that's how it all started,” said Brooke McAfee.
Once Amelia had a moment to take in all the excitement, Brooke McAfee sat down with her to walk through Wish’s first official checkup with her. This included checking the teeth and heart, weighing the puppy, and filling out paperwork to lock in Wish’s name.
Brooke McAfee was beyond thrilled to be a part of such a heartwarming moment.
“I can't even put it into words, but honestly, what an honor,” Brooke McAfee said. “It's awesome for her. I truly think being able to let her grow up with the dog is an amazing experience. It's just such an honor that Make-A-Wish reached out to me and allowed us to be part of it. We’re so honored and appreciative for this opportunity.”
At the end of the day, Amelia was all smiles as she cuddled Wish on the car ride home, more than ready to take on what’s ahead with her fluffy companion right at her side.
For more information on McAfee Animal Hospital, visit https://mcafeeah.com/.