Make-A-Wish gives Mass. boy battling leukemia treehouse of his dreams as part of 10,000th wish
Kyle Osterman wanted a treehouse. But not just any treehouse. He wanted one that was so large and so stocked with things to do, he would never have to come down from the trees.
Make-A-Wish made his dreams a reality.
9-year-old Kyle, of North Grafton and Sutton, is in his second of three years of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. When referred to Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the family almost passed up the opportunity because they thought it was only for those with terminal illnesses.
“I am so glad we learned more and found out that a wish can be something for a child like Kyle to look forward to after being so brave throughout his diagnosis and treatment,” said Kyle’s mom, Stephanie Paglione.
Kyle was able to provide input into the design of his new treetop abode dubbed “Kyle’s Krib.”
Kyle, a fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series, was able to meet series creator Jeff Kinney and was gifted a piece of one-of-a-kind artwork. Former Red Sox outfielder Darnell McDonald and Smiley, the WooSox mascot also gifted Kyle with a specialized jersey. Members of the Marvel team at Hasbro gave him a bunch of toys representing his favorite wall-crawler Spider-Man.
A large group of students at Ashland High School’s Make-A-Wish club was on hand to form a spirit tunnel as Kyle walked up to his new treehouse.
Kyle’s Krib was built by the W.T. Rich company in Natick and a team of 20 local vendors.
“We [W.T. Rich] have been looking for an opportunity like this, so when we were approached about Kyle’s Wish it was an easy yes,” said W.T. Rich CEO Jonathan Rich. “We had such a great team who worked on the build, and every single partner we asked to get involved immediately asked what they could do to help. We’ve all been touched by this experience and we’re grateful to have been a part of it.”
Kyle’s wish was the 10,000th that Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island have granted in their history.
“Kyle’s is the perfect wish to mark our 10,000th, as it represents so much of what makes a wish meaningful. At the heart of each wish is a brave, resilient, and inspiring child like Kyle, and the family who supports them through their medical journey. But a wish doesn’t stop there. It’s also about the community that come together to make it possible, and that community is in full display today,”said Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island CEO Sean Holleran.
Make-A-Wish hopes to grant 155 wishes to kids in Massachusetts and Rhode Island this summer.
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