SPOKANE, Wash. — Charlie Kaluzny, a 5-year-old boy from Spokane, dreamed up an out of this universe wish during his bravely fought battle with cancer.
The hallways of the Kaluzny home are filled with laughter, and younger brother Charlie has a knock for making people smile.
Unlike most kids in kindergarten, Charlie has faced challenges most adults never have. What started as a swollen leg led to a life-changing diagnosis for his whole family.
“Charlie was running around and we noticed that his leg was really big and swollen and we asked him did you hurt yourself,” his dad, Micah Kaluzny remembered.
Charlie’s parents brought him to Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital where doctors examined his leg.
Tests, imaging and a biopsy revealed a large mass in Charlie’s leg.
“They said we don’t know exactly what it is, but we know that this is a cancerous tumor,” his father said.
The situation became more serious when doctors found another mass in Charlie’s abdomen. Charlie was immediately admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with lymphoma. Treatment started one week later, beginning 14 weeks of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
The family stayed completely isolated to avoid illnesses that could disrupt treatment.
Through it all, Charlie showed remarkable resilience.
“He tolerated everything super well,” his mother Alexis said.
“After being poked and prodded at and being in a hospital for four months as a 5-year-old.”
During treatment, Charlie’s oncologist mentioned something that would bring back some magic to his life.
“He was the one who said you’ll get a wish, and he just said it in passing,” Micah said.
“We just had to show up and dream.”
Make-A-Wish is a nonprofit organization that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses. The organization relies on donations and volunteers to fund these life-changing experiences, with the trips completely covered by wish granters and community support.
Charlie’s wish started small but grew as his family and doctors encouraged him to dream bigger.
“So he did the hamster, and then he did Silverwood, and then he wanted to do Fiji, so that he could drink out of a coconut and get a massage,” his mother said.
After careful consideration, Charlie landed on a destination you won’t find on a traditional map.
“Mario World,” Charlie said when asked about his final choice.
Charlie has been in remission for 10 months, shortly after his treatment ended the whole family traveled to Orlando, Florida.
Super Mario Land was just the start of their trip to Universal Epic Universe in Orlando. The wish granters ensured that Charlie’s older brother Thomas also felt special during the experience.
“I was in the side car because I’d probably just fly off,” Thomas said about one of the rides in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
“It was like every time when we went to the rides they literally just took us to the front,” Charlie said.
“We walked past a five-hour line for a Harry Potter ride,” his mom added. “Like, fast pass at Disney World has nothing on this Gold Access pass.”
For the family, the trip represented more than just a vacation. It was a chance to step away from hospitals and medical treatments and simply be a family again.
Looking toward the future, the Kaluzny family plans to give back by becoming wish granters themselves, helping other families experience the same magic they received. As for Charlie, he’s already considering a return trip to Mario World, though he acknowledges one potential drawback.
“But we’d have to wait in the lines,” Charlie said with a laugh.
With 75% of wishes requiring flight, airline tickets are Make-A-Wish’s single largest expense. Community members can help keep the cost of wishes down by donating airline miles, ensuring miles never expire while supporting a meaningful cause. Make-A-Wish accepts donations of both miles and cash to help make wishes take flight for children like Charlie.
Click here to donate.
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