Make-A-Wish Michigan celebrated a major milestone on Thursday by surprising a wish recipient with an exciting upgrade.
The organization marked the granting of its 12,500th wish by enhancing Caleb Upton's wish to visit a Michelin-star restaurant in California.
The 18-year-old, who was diagnosed last year with stage 4 Burkitt’s Leukemia, a rare and aggressive cancer, will now enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to California to visit The French Laundry, along with various cooking experiences, equipment, and gear. His enthusiasm for the trip has only increased with these additional gifts.
“I really just expected a little surprise dinner but nothing quite like this, that’s for sure,” Caleb said. He added that planning the trip with his family provided motivation during his hospital stay: “Thinking I get to do this after all this is done really helped me stay strong through everything happening in the hospital.”
The event was hosted by Chef Jenna Arcidiacono at her restaurant, Amore Trattoria, on Alpine Avenue. She gifted Caleb with his own "Chef Caleb" chef's coat.
Make-A-Wish Michigan hopes Caleb's story will help raise awareness to support other families in similar situations.
“A lot of people think there’s a magical list out there where we get to know all the kids that have illnesses and we don’t," said Michael Hull, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Michigan. "Our goal is to reach every one of those children so they can actually benefit from the services we offer.”
Make-A-Wish Michigan, founded in 1984, grants life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses, bringing hope, strength, and joy when they need it most. If you would like to learn more about the process of referring a child, click here.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
