TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Allie Taylor’s “dream bedroom” became a reality on Thursday, thanks to Make-a-Wish Arizona.
The eight-year-old from Tucson excitedly explored her new room after the big reveal. The new room features a new closet, chairs and a lofted bed, as well as repainted walls.
Back in 2018, Allie went through chemotherapy to address a cancerous tumor behind her eye. Near the end of her treatment, one of her doctors referred her for a “Wish.”
The family originally planned for the “Wish” to be a family cruise, but different factors including the coronavirus pandemic forced that plan to change. Eventually, Allie settled on the perfect bedroom to be her “Wish.”
“This is pretty awesome, she can enjoy it every day,” her mom, Lisa Schwandt said.
Local contractors helped paint and redesign the room—all in Allie’s image. The Make-a-Wish team worked with her over more than six months to craft her ideal room.
“She picked out all of her unicorn pillows, she talked about pink, she talked about purple,” said Hollie Costello, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for Make-a-Wish Arizona. “We would send her samples and say ‘What do you like?’ And then she would pick out what she likes.”
When asked what she specifically asked for in the planning process, Allie said, “the egg chair, I wanted a new bed, and I wanted one of those bean bags.”
“Having something tangible that she can remember the whole time, I mean, an experience only lasts for a week, that we can enjoy a cruise, and she can enjoy this for years,” Schwandt said. “As long as she’s living here. And it’ll grow with her.”
Make-a-Wish Arizona granted 343 wishes during the past fiscal year. Each “Wish” is funded only by community donations, and Make-a-Wish is also looking for more volunteers. To find out more or to donate, you can visit the organization’s website.
