Autumn has spent a few hours every three weeks having a blood transfusion for her Diamond-Blackfan anemia. Each transfusion carried with it the risk of cancer and organ failure, eventually leading her doctors to share that the only cure for Autumn would be a bone marrow transplant.
With that diagnosis, Autumn also found out she qualified for Make-A-Wish.
“My wish made the next few months of treatment easier,” said Autumn. “I would tell myself during treatments that if I can only get through a couple more days, a couple more weeks, I get to go on an amazing trip.”
Autumn’s family flew to Hawaii and enjoyed seeing Pearl Harbor, going on a turtle tour, and, of course, spending lots of time at the beach. One heartwarming memory was sharing this experience with her brother, Austin, who was going to be Autumn’s bone marrow donor.
“Her brother, Austin, even left football training at USC to spend three days with us for Autumn’s wish. You could tell that meant a lot to her,” said her mom, Lavonna. “When you have a kid with a critical illness, finances can be tight. Autumn’s wish gave us a great break from reality that made us feel more like a normal family because not everyone gets to go on a big family vacation.”
“For all the times she’s been poked and the hospitalizations and doctors, I was so happy to see Autumn smile and the attention to be on her for something good,” Lavonna continued.
Autumn and the family returned from her wish trip rested, rejuvenated and ready to tackle the bone marrow transplant together.
Today, instead of hours at the hospital every three weeks, Autumn is looking to the future. She aspires to become an esthetician and one day open her own business.
“My wish trip was just what I needed before the procedure, and it really made me feel good to have my whole family concentrating on having fun and being happy instead of worrying about me,” said Autumn.
