Make-a-Wish grants family trip to Hawaii

The Make a Wish Foundation granted a local family a special vacation wish this holiday season.

The foundation transformed CJ’s Mongolian Grill in Indio into a Moana-themed paradise for Riley Rose Sherman’s “Wish Party.”

Riley Rose Sherman is the 6-year old from La Quinta that has been battling stage 4 neuroblastoma for the last year-and-a-half. The aggressive cancer affects the kidneys.

The Inland Empire chapter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation got some assistance from several Disney princesses in granting the Sherman family with a trip to the Disney Aulani Resort in Hawaii. The family was also surprised with a $3,000 dollar Visa gift card to help with expenses while they’re vacationing.

“Because most of the time, one parent has to stop working, or two parents have to stop working. You’re ripped apart, you have travel expenses, you don’t have a dime for a haircut, for gas in your tank, and they handed us a prepaid visa gift card and said ‘Go on vacation,’ and it mind-blowing,” said Kristin Sherman, Riley’s mom

The foundation hopes this is a memorable experience for Riley.

“She’s spent 300 days in the hospital in the last 17 months with our family just ripped apart, and this to me, is just. it’s just six whole days with my family and getting to make her dreams come true.” Kristin said.

Several other local businesses also pitched in for the reveal party, including Desert Parties and Totally Twisted Entertainment.