An 11-year-old boy wished for a standing wheelchair. Make-A-Wish Hawaii made it happen

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A young boy’s wish came true Tuesday night at the Moanalua High School gymnasium.

Organized by Make-A-Wish Hawaii, the Menehune Marching Band and Color Guard put on a special performance for 11-year-old Markie and his family.

Wish volunteers also put together a socially-distanced parade to present him with a Rifton Standing Wheelchair, which typically costs several thousand dollars.

Markie lives with several medical conditions including epilepsy, cerebral palsy and recurrent seizures. The wheelchair, donated by Make-A-Wish Hawaii, will help him gain strength to walk on his own and improve his overall quality of life.

Despite his physical challenges, his family says he’s a resilient young man.

“He has a very strong personality. He makes sure that we don’t ignore him. Even after he has a seizure, and he comes home and he comes to, he laughs so hard and loud. He makes us feel like the world will be OK again, even after that,” his parents Michele and Michael said.

From the minute the family walked into the gymnasium, they were greeted with cheers and excitement. One special part of the night was when Markie was made an honorary member of the Menehune ohana.

“He loves marching band music which is why we incorporated Moanalua Marching Band,” Markie’s Wish Coordinator Janelle Sanqui said. “He loves this big sounds. I really saw him perk up when the band started to play.”

They performed a Disney medley in his honor, which warmed the hearts of those in attendance.

“We feel so special and honored. It’s overwhelming – the gratitude. The fact that they just came together as a community and really to honor our sons wish like that means a lot to us, “ his parents added.

Markie is one of dozens of wish kids in Hawaii who’ve had their wishes granted this year. To support Make-A-Wish Hawaii, click here.

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