Brianna Age 8 Old Orchard Beach, Maine Brianna wishes to search for the Loch Ness Monster!

Brianna, who is battling a type of cancer called neuroblastoma, wished to search for the Loch Ness monster in Scotland. While there, she was also able to fit in some fishing and other exploration.

“At first, Brianna was overwhelmed by the concept of wishing,” said volunteer wish granter, Heidi Donnelly. “After exploring ideas with us, she was able to settle on 3-4 top choices before narrowing it to her search for Nessie. She was thrilled to be able to picture herself sleeping in a castle and riding a train across Scotland.”

“Brianna was always happy to see her wish granters or the small gifts arrive but she really didn't talk much with them much about making a wish,” said Brianna’s mother, Katrina. “She would mention things, but with little enthusiasm. She had far more interest in feeling well enough to play with her cousin or a friend.”

Things changed when Brianna went for a stem cell transplant. She had been in the hospital for five days of intense chemotherapy. Brianna hadn't smiled or spoken more than a few words in a day or two. Then, a package arrived from Make-a-Wish. Inside was a red super hero cape and mask.

“The transformation was amazing,” said Katrina. “Brianna went from laying in bed to jumping from it; pretending to be the super hero we all knew she was.” That day, Brianna began dreaming about her “wish” possibilities.

“After she pinpointed her choice, we eagerly awaited our trip to search for Nessie. More importantly, we know how important the little things like a super hero cape are,” said Katrina.

“She loved the whole experience,” said Katrina. “She loved the special things that wish granters did for her before we left and now that we’ve gone on the wish, she talks about it all the time. In fact, it is her dream to now grant a wish to another child since she loved it so much. That is the power of a wish.”

Brianna’s family is planning to form a walk team in the next Walk for Wishes so they can attempt to raise enough money to grant a wish for another Maine child.

“To know that she wants to do this for another child speaks to how large of an impact it had on Brianna,” said Katrina. “The wish was a wonderful distraction from our normal routine of talking about her illness.”

To reveal that Brianna’s wish would be granted and to keep her excited until the time her family boarded the plane, wish granters planned several unique enhancements to the wish.

“Brianna had just turned five when our wish journey began,” said Katrina. “She did a lot of growing and changing during that time and Make-A-Wish was right with her.”

Nearly a year before their trip, Brianna was surprised with carved pumpkins revealing to her that she would receive her wish to go to Scotland.

On her 7th birthday, she received a gift that was a box within a box within a box until she found an ornament and tickets to go on a Polar Express ride.

For her wish party before the trip overseas, her family and friends gathered at a park for a scavenger hunt and to meet special guest Dr. Theo Willis who was featured on the Discovery Channel’s “The Loch Ness Monster Revealed”. Dr. Willis told Brianna more about “Nessie” and what she could expect in Scotland. She was brought to the park by a surprise police escort who talked to her about the importance of her “training” and the clues she would find along the scavenger hunt, which yielded exploration tools for Brianna’s search (binoculars, exploration vest, water bottles, tickets to Palace Playland, and more).

The family enjoyed being treated like royalty on their trip and were even served meals that didn’t appear on the hotel’s menu. Brianna was particularly amused by the sheep and cows that meandered in and near roads as well as the “man skirts” that many Scottish men wore. Her favorite thing to do while searching for Nessie was to yell, “Loch Ness Monster!” and watch other people on the tour boat turn quickly to see the Monster.

“Our trip to Scotland was the trip of a lifetime,” said Katrina. “The look of joy on Brianna’s face when we were out on Loch Ness is one that will remain with me always. Thank you, Make-a-Wish, for the joy of seeing my child fly from a hospital bed. Thank you for everything.”

Many Thanks To: Wish Granters Heidi Donnelly, Sue Flynn, and Stephanie Duggan, Renys, Old Orchard Police Department CPL Babbin, Officer Robbins, Dr. Theodore Willis, Palace Playland, Dickinson's Candy Factory, Life Is Good, Hayward Travel, Make-A-Wish United Kingdom, the Loch Ness Monster Exhibition Centre, and Believe in Books .