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Make-A-Wish builds playground for 6-year-old
HAGATNA, Guam (AP)—Six-year-old Joerome Aguon was all smiles yesterday as he played with his siblings and cousin on a new playground set erected in the front yard of his Dededo home.
“We’re pretty excited,” said Jesse Aguon, the boy’s father. “Now we don’t have to go to the park anymore. We have one in our own yard.”
The playground was built through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Guam, a group that helps grant wishes for young children and teens with life-threatening medical conditions.
To an outsider, Joerome Aguon looks like any other young boy—rambunctious and full of life. However, since he was born, he has struggled with liver issues.
The 6-year-old has shown progress in the last year after receiving throat surgery in the Philippines, which keeps him from vomiting blood. The boy is still waiting for a liver transplant, but doctors recommend the transplant surgery not take place until he’s older—around age 15.
Joerome Aguon and his family found out last year that he qualified for a wish through the Make-A-Wish organization.
“We kept asking him what he wanted, but it was mainly Spiderman things,” the boy’s mother, Leilani Toves, said. “We told him he could pick something bigger, and he said he wanted a playground.”
On Jan. 30, the red and blue playground Joerome Aguon had been eagerly awaiting to enjoy for months was finally unveiled by Make-A-Wish Guam.
“It represents Spiderman—the color of it,” Toves said. “He’s really excited he got this. He likes the swing. When he saw [the playground], [he saw] there are different slides to climb onto.”
Black Construction handled the installation of the playground, and Macy’s sponsored the project.
“Our donors came through in a big way, by covering the cost of the equipment and shipping,” Make-A-Wish Board chair Mike Naholowaa said in a release. “The in-kind donation of construction services allowed us to save money toward other program expenses.”
Make-A-Wish Guam executive director Victor Camacho said a wish starts with a referral. Camacho said if anyone knows of a child with a serious illness, they can email or call the organization.
