– Selina, 6, Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

 

The Impossible Mission to Space

Although Selina was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at three and a half years old, she was a brave little warrior.

Falling in love with rockets at first sight

During one of Selina’s treatments in the hospital, her father saw she was bored so he showed her a video of the SpaceX rocket launch. Selina, who was interested in science, was attracted by the stunning rocket. Since then, the idea to explore outer space started to sprout in the heart of this little girl.

“I love watching the rocket accelerate, the sound of the launch is super interesting!” The rockets have accompanied Selina throughout her stays at the hospital. Because of Selina, her family has become loyal supporters of SpaceX. Whenever there was a rocket launch, the whole family would set an alarm to wake up (even in the middle of the night) so they could watch it live. One day, Selina said: “It would be so great if I could go to the United States to see the rocket take off!” Selina’s Wish seemed out of reach- until she met the Wish Team.

Anticipation of the Wish

The Wish Team was moved by Selina’s bright and lovely smile when they first met her. The Wish Team encouraged Selina to express her passion for rockets and show her sincerity through different creative ways like drawings, letters, and videos. The Wish Team then contacted Make-A-Wish Central & Northern Florida for help. With the support from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), Selina got a rare opportunity to witness the rocket launch in person! Selina was extremely excited when she received the news. The Wish gave her hope and motivation to complete all the treatments diligently. She would often talk about the upcoming Wish Day with her family, excited that the day would come soon.

At the end of 2019, Selina and her family finally flew to Florida. Everything felt like a dream when Selina arrived. Although the long-haul flight was tiring, when the thought of watching the rocket launch entered Selina’s mind, she immediately perked up and looked around with big curious eyes.

Get ready for the rocket launch!

Get ready for the rocket launch!

On the day of the launch, Selina woke up early and took a bus with her family to the Kennedy Space Center. Greeted personally by the NASA team, Selina was led to the VIP area of the rocket launch pad.
One minute left…The whole area was in complete darkness except for the rocket under the spotlight. In addition to Selina and the Wish Team, there were astronauts surrounding the launch pad. The countdown started,
“Five – Four – Three – Two – One – Set off!”

A huge fireball accompanied by white smoke erupted from the rocket’s engine. Everyone including Selina stood up and applauded.

 

Chase and realize your dream with courage!

Selina jumped around and said, “I’m so happy! My Wish has come true!” Selina and the Wish Team continued their visit to the Kennedy Space Centre. Selina and her sister were deeply inspired when they learnt that the seemingly impossible moon landing was made possible through courage, hard work and perseverance! Selina made a wish that she could continue to explore the mystery of the universe and bring her knowledge to others. She hoped that she could visit the International Space Station in the future.

Selina’s family said, “Thanks very much to the Make-A-Wish Foundation who made Selina’s wish come true. We are so thankful that this experience inspired her to continue to chase her dream and overcome adversity with courage and perseverance!”

As the rocket launch was the beginning of human exploration of outer space, we believe that this is also the start of Selina’s journey in chasing her dream.

Acknowledgement: Kennedy Space Center