I wish to swim with dolphins!

Andrea, 14, Ovarian Germ Cell Tumor

“Realizing Andrea’s Wish gave us strength to keep moving forward!”

Although Andrea is confined to a wheelchair, she loves outdoor activities, especially swimming, and animals as well. Her mother and the Wish Team therefore combined these favorite elements of Andrea as her very unique Wish. However, because of the limitation of her body, the Wish was challenging and we had to seek professional assistance from occupational therapists on the Wish Day. After 3 years of waiting and planning, Andrea’s Wish has finally come true!

Thanks to the thoughtful arrangements made by the Hong Kong Ocean Park and the Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel, Andrea stayed in a hotel room with barrier-free facilities and enjoyed hotel meals. She even had a special designed seat to ensure her comfortable encounter with dolphins in the water. During the Dolphin Encounter session, a lovely dolphin swam in front of her and interacted with her. Andrea and her family even guided the dolphin to demonstrate different natural behaviors! Even though Andrea may not be able to express her feelings by words, she showed a big smile on her face when interacting with dolphins for the first time in her life. Andrea then had lunch with her family at the Neptune’s Restaurant with a spectacular view of the aquarium and met the macaws afterwards. They enjoyed a delicious dinner buffet at the hotel and went to the swimming pool the next morning as a wrap up of Andrea’s Wish Day.

Andrea’s Wish was not an easy one, but her big smile makes everything worth it. Andrea’s mother also expressed gratitude to everyone involved and helped during the Wish Journey, “Realizing Andrea’s Wish gave us strength to keep moving forward!” she shared.

Acknowledgement: Ocean Park Hong Kong & Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel