Contributed Photo
Chloe Martins benefited from Make-A-Wish Connecticut.
Chloe Martins, 16, of Seymour, was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder as a baby. Throughout the past few years, she has had to take biweekly trips to the hospital to undergo treatment, giving Chloe nothing but negative experiences with her illness.
That was until February of 2018 when Chloe was granted her wish to go to Hawaii by Make-A-Wish Connecticut.
Seeing that she loves all things tropical and has wanted to visit the Aloha State for as long as she can remember, her wish was the perfect opportunity to finally make the trip.
“My wish gave me something to look forward to and talk about during my treatments,” Chloe said. “I must have looked up pictures and information about the resort online one-hundred times while I was in the hospital.”
The next month, Chloe and her family experienced the beauty of Hawaii in countless ways – they zip lined through forests, rode horses up mountains, snorkeled in crystal clear water, and spent a night with fire dancers at a luau. Though all of her adventures were amazing, Chloe’s favorite part about her wish was being able to spend time with her family.
“The wish brought me and my brother a lot closer,” Chloe said. “We still talk about the trip to this day.”
Aside from her wish, simply being a part of Make-A-Wish Connecticut had a significant impact on Chloe.
“Being involved in this organization made me realize that I am not alone,” Chloe said. “I can tell that people are brought together and friendships are made through Make-A-Wish and it’s really nice to be a part of that.”
Since her trip, Chloe has been very busy with her favorite activity – cheerleading.
She is on the varsity team at Seymour High School and looks forward to going to practice every day. When she’s not cheerleading, Chloe loves to bake – specifically cupcakes.
“My wish made me look at life a lot differently,” she said. “I now know not to take anything for granted.”
Between June and August, Make-A-Wish Connecticut will grant more than 90 wishes to Connecticut children, like Chloe, with critical illnesses — most will include travel. To help make their wishes come true, consider donating at ct.wish.org/summerofwishes.
