‘An empowering experience’: Two brothers granted Make-A-Wish trips
Two brothers in Watertown recently returned from two Make-A-Wish trips with their families.
Each was born with a neuromuscular disorder and each was granted their own trips in August and September.
Even hidden within a lifetime of hardship, wishes do come true.
Jagger Boehm is 12 years old and was born with a neuromuscular disorder. His younger brother, Carsen, is 10 years old and also was born with the same critical disease. This past year, their doctors asked the family if they could send in request forms to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Aptly, the foundation stepped up to exceed expectations for the X family.
“When a child has a critical illness, they are told ‘no’ a lot,” said Sue Salter, CEO of Make-A-Wish South Dakota and Montana. She helped to organize Jagger and Carsen’s trips. “This becomes a very empowering experience for the child and the family.”
Jagger’s vacation was first. His wish was to fish for sharks in Florida and then to mount a fish in his home.
A replica from his catch will arrive in Watertown soon.
“It was so fun for him,” said Dad Shane Boehm. Shane says Jagger loves outdoor sports and that the two of them hunt and fish a lot together, especially now during deer season. Jagger caught Mahi Mahi and a blacktip reef shark in the Key Largo Bay. The Mahi Mahi coming home weighed about 10 pounds and is nearly 3 feet long.
A month later, Make-A-Wish sent Carsen and the family to the opposite side of the country, fulfilling Carsen’s Star Wars-themed wish. At Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., he and 19 other wish kids got to be a part of “Blaze Your Path: A Star Wars Adventure,” the first-of-its-kind, multi-day wish event for families.
“There is no doubt that a wish brings hope to a family and a child. A wish can do so many things. It is truly magical.”
“Disney is a national partner of ours and grants about 50 percent of the wishes we do,” Salter said. Her foundation granted over 100 wishes this past year. “But every wish is as unique as the child who makes it. We let them be the architect of their wish!”
Dad Shane said Carsen hopped on a few Disney rides but most enjoyed building drones and a lightsaber while immersed in the staged planet of Batuu.
“We’re humbled that so many children choose Disney to make their dreams come true,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences and Make-A-Wish America board member. “We’re constantly finding innovative and uniquely Disney ways to grant wishes at our parks and experiences around the world.”
Neuromuscular disorders affect the nerves that control voluntary muscles. This can cause difficulty in mobility and hindrance in independence. Shane says both brothers use wheelchairs but can still walk sometimes.
“It’s been a challenge, but we have lots of family support,” said Dad, who works in town at Terex Utilties.
The Boehm family just moved to Watertown a couple years ago. Jagger attends Watertown Intermediate School, and Carsen goes to Mellette Elementary.
Although they will always need full-time care, trips like this are a boost in moral for the whole family.
Make-A-Wish America says research shows that wish trips revive spirits and offer strength to fight harder in diseases. Parents might feel optimism again, kids might gain courage to withstand treatments.
“There is no doubt that a wish brings hope to a family and child,” said Salter, who has been working with Make-A-Wish South Dakota and Montana chapters for six years. “A wish does so many things for a child – it truly is magical.”
