Vava’s Story:

“I wish to visit Paris and eat at a fancy restaurant”

For 13-year-old Vava, the real star of the Disney movie Ratatouille wasn’t the rat-turned-chef who rescues a fading Parisian restaurant – it was the sparkling image animators created for the City of Lights.  Vava, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, was so inspired by the city’s animated beauty that she was determined to see it for herself – and sample the famous French culinary flair.  She asked volunteers from the Make-A-Wish Foundation® to send her to Paris for a meal at a first-class restaurant.  Wish granters crafted an itinerary for her first transatlantic flight from Seattle, which included a stay at the heart of the city, trips to museums, and a glimpse of the countryside.

The trip itself was wonderful, Vava said, but looking forward to it was just as important.  She would often ask her nurse to talk about the wish while she was going through radiation treatment.  She could hear the nurse’s voice on the intercom describing Paris, which took her mind off the treatment.

Vava, who was declared cancer-free by doctors shortly before her wish, believes wish kids need to think hard about choosing their one true wish.  And she couldn’t be happier about her choice, which gave her a multitude of unforgettable memories.

Vava’s wish was the 1,000th granted by Jewelers for Children and Vava was on-hand to have her wish send off during the 2008 American Gem Society Conclave in Seattle. Since 1999, JFC has helped the Make-A-Wish Foundation share the power of a wish® by contributing funds to grant the wishes of children such as Vava.