Bradlyn Howard, a local 6-year-old who has cystic fibrosis, had his wish come true Thursday. He was was surprised with a pirate ship playset thanks to a donation from Make-a-Wish and the Nicky Hayden Memorial Foundation.
Bradlyn was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at 2 weeks old, and his mother Brooklyn Howard said they took it pretty rough. Brooklyn said as new parents they didn’t know what to expect.
Since Bradlyn has gotten older, he has taken more medications to help with his diagnosis.
When the pandemic came, his parents were nervous for Bradlyn because bacteria is “really deadly” for his health, according to his father Michael Leach. They would keep him inside and Bradlyn would play with his brothers around the house and in the yard.
The family got connected with Make-a-Wish and Bradlyn had a fairly simple request: a pirate ship playset where he could play with his brothers.
When Bradlyn arrived and saw the surprise in his backyard, he immediately ran to the ship and started searching every nook and cranny with his brothers — all the way down to the chocolate gold coins in the treasure chest.
Bradlyn said he was surprised at how nice it was.
Lisa Reeves, Senior Development Officer for Make-a-Wish, said it was a great experience to grant this wish.
“It just warms your heart and you see the impact it has on these families and really on the community. It’s just such a happy thing with so many things going on in the world, it’s just nice to do something to put a smile on a kid’s face,” Reeves said.
The playset was fully funded by the Nicky Hayden Memorial Foundation. Nicky was an ambassador for Make-a-Wish. According to the Memorial Foundation’s Facebook Page, “Nicky loved kids, giving to others and where he came from. The foundation was established in his honor to continue his legacy.”
