Twelve-year-old Sophia Ostler and her family, of American Fork, were given the news that they’d be taking an all-expenses-paid trip to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort in Florida during a special surprise ceremony at the Make-A-Wish Utah headquarters back in November 2024.

Sophia suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the neck down after a car accident in July 2023.

The seventh grader has displayed great resilience as she continues to endure pain amidst her healing journey.

Yet, she was eagerly awaiting the special trip.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

And on Wednesday, a group of employees and volunteers from Make-A-Wish Utah and Breeze Airways greeted her with signs, cheers and streamers as her family rolled Sophia along in her wheelchair inside the Provo Airport before boarding their flight to Orlando.

Her family was overcome with joy and emotion in seeing the smiles on Sophia’s and her little sister’s faces in anticipation of their journey to “the happiest place on earth.”

“I’ve been looking forward to this with my kids for at least a year,” said Sophia’s father, Craig Ostler.

Sophia had quite a few ideas on the list of activities she hoped to check off during the nearly weeklong trip.

“I’m really excited to see what food is there, and I’m really excited to go to Harry Potter World at Universal Studios,” she said. “And I hope I get to see some animals at Disney World.”

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

Sophia’s dad said the family previously explored making a trip to Disneyland Resort in Southern California, but after the accident, those plans were ruled out.

Following the tragic accident, Sophia spent many months in the hospital, undergoing intense treatments and tests.

After returning home and back to school at American Fork Junior High, Sophia was contacted by Make-A-Wish early last year.

She was given the opportunity to pick her top three wishes, ultimately choosing Disney World and Universal.

Sophia’s mom Mandy said seeing the day arrive where they get to make the trip to Florida felt like a dream come true.

Courtesy Breeze Airways

In addition to Sophia, three other wish kids and their families flew to Orlando from Provo on Wednesday. The trips represent a newly formed partnership between Breeze Airways and Make-A-Wish Utah.

The two organizations united to fulfill wishes for children who aspire to travel to some of the most requested destinations like Disneyland or Disney World.

Daniel Dudley, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Utah, said the efforts are the result of compassion and generosity from partnering staff members, donors and community members.

“It means so much to the wish kids and their families, you see the faces of mom and dad in the siblings, you’re seeing joy, and you’re seeing a lot of emotion. I think this is a culminating moment for them as they battled life-threatening medical challenges,” Dudley told the Daily Herald during Wednesday’s event. “Today is a celebration about everything that they’ve been through and persevered through.”

But the medical challenges weren’t enough to keep each wish kid from showing off their charismatic personalities during Wednesday’s send-off.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

When Everett Kentrolis was just 1 year old, doctors diagnosed with him with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

Now, at the age of 10, his mother, Ryan, said he’s had a rough life thus far. But even through the ups and downs, Everett keeps a positive outlook on life.

“He’s been through a lot, and he’s a very deserving little kid, so we’re excited to be able to celebrate him,” she said.

The Kentrolis family of Plain City was also excited and grateful for the opportunity to have Everett’s wish become reality and just enjoy being a kid despite the current obstacles.

“This was a great way for him to forget about the diagnosis and some of the trials that he’s been through and just focus on being a 10-year-old,” Ryan Kentrolis said.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

Make-A-Wish Utah aims to grant at least 220 wishes this year. Breeze Airways will provide up to 700 seats and flight accommodations for wish kids and accompanying family members.

As for the Ostlers, Sophia’s dad Craig shared his gratitude for the volunteers and staff from both organizations for bringing the experience to life.

“The amount of work and effort to get to this point was a lot, and I’m really excited to see the kids actually enjoy a little bit of more of a normal life,” he said.

Sophia shared a similar sentiment.

“It’s amazing how many people can help and how many people are willing to help. And I also love what American Fork High School did, because they raised a lot of the money for me,” Sophia said.