This month, Black Press Media has teamed up with and BraveFace to help grant wishes, . Here鈥檚 one wish that was granted through the Make-A-Wish B.C. and Yukon chapter鈥�

鈥淚 wish to go see the turtles鈥� 鈥� August 2019

In the summer of 2019, four-year-old Rose had a longtime wish come true and she got to share it with her twin sister.

She and her twin sister Nina are alike in so many ways, save a small birthmark on Rose鈥檚 chin and Nina being a little bit taller. By their parent鈥檚 accounts, they鈥檙e both quite shy. Both kids love to dance, both love to ski and both love to ride bikes. They are 鈥渆qually persistent and feisty,鈥� as their mother, Ginny, suggests.

But there is one major difference between them: Rose has had to endure a battle with leukemia. Her sister, Nina, is her constant supporter and was by her side every day as Rose faced her critical illness.

鈥淩ose caught a cough that Nina didn鈥檛 have,鈥� said Ginny, noting that it was unusual for one twin to catch something that the other did not. 鈥淩ose started sleeping more, and she was pale.鈥�

That was all the evidence Rose鈥檚 parents needed to go see a doctor and sadly, she was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 22 months old.

鈥淚t was terrifying,鈥� said Ginny. Rose鈥檚 dad, Jeremy, said that Rose had to be airlifted from their hometown to Vancouver, where there was an initial 10-day stay in BC Children鈥檚 Hospital followed by a further six months of treatments.

鈥淎s a parent,鈥� said Ginny, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e just coping, making sure the [kids] don鈥檛 get upset or alarmed by what鈥檚 happening through it all.鈥�

Jeremy said the whole family is still dealing with the trauma of it all. Rose鈥檚 twin was also affected by the experience; with so much focus on Rose for so long, it was, at times hard on Nina, who her parents felt took on a lot of the stress for her sister.

鈥淣ina is more sensitive than Rose,鈥� according to Ginny and Jeremy said.

At the end of all the treatments and hospital stays, and time away from home, there came a period of recovery. Then finally, Rose was truly ready and able to have her wish granted by Make-A-Wish.

鈥淩ose seems to light up around animals,鈥� said Ginny. Jeremy says they鈥檝e watched Finding Nemo dozens of times. 鈥淲e all watch Blue Planet as a family,鈥� Ginny also noted, adding that when they lived in Vancouver for treatments, the family made regular trips to the Vancouver Aquarium. Rose seemed particularly interested in the shark tank, where one of the aquarium鈥檚 most famous long-time residents also lives: a sea turtle named Schoona. Eventually, Rose made a wish to release baby sea turtles.

The family travelled to Florida and the Gumbo Limbo Nature Centre to make Rose鈥檚 wish come true. While they were there, it wasn鈥檛 only baby turtles that were hatched. Ginny and Jeremy watched their own daughters come out of their shells a bit, too.

鈥淲here normally they are so shy, they sat right upfront during the education sessions at Gumbo Limbo,鈥� explained Ginny. 鈥淭hey answered questions and were so engaged. It was special to see that.鈥�

Rose got to take part in a public sea turtle release as well as a special, private release with her sister and parents on a warm Florida night. There, on the beach, the family watched as tiny sea turtles scooted their way across the sand. The experience brought a new life in the ocean for the turtles and granted a wish for Rose.

Jeremy and Ginny feel as though through the trip they鈥檙e able to close a chapter on the whole experience with cancer.

They say that a lot of Rose鈥檚 sentences start with 鈥渋n Florida鈥︹�� as she looks back on her wish experience of releasing baby sea turtles. It鈥檚 a happier moment for the family to remember than any time spent at the hospital.

Critically ill kids put on a Brave Face every day. Now you can, too, in support of Make-A-Wish.

Black Press Media and have come together to support children facing life-threatening conditions, and we invite you to join us in helping children鈥檚 wishes come true. !

By purchasing a pack of three masks designed and manufactured right here in British Columbia for children, youth and adults, you鈥檒l be supporting the .