Surprise! Make-A-Wish brings Super Mario Bros. golf cart to boy, 5, battling leukemia

BOYNTON BEACH — Wishes do come true. In fact, hundreds of wishes are granted every year in Palm Beach County and beyond, offering hope to the families who need it most.

Make-A-Wish of Southern Florida helps about 650 families annually, and on July 21, just outside of the pavilion at Boynton Beach's Caloosa Park, the nonprofit celebrated wish No. 14,000 with a child who's overcoming leukemia.

Charlie Maloney, 5, began his journey after feeling a fever and a lump on his head less than two years ago. A pediatrician told the family to go to an emergency room, urging them to avoid time-consuming insurance approvals and immediately get testing.

“The tests were coming back with his blood levels so bad that they were like, ‘This must be a lab error,’ so they tested him again," said Katie Newton, his mother.

Newton said that was the moment everything changed. It wasn't long before an ambulance drove the family to Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, where they did more testing and began to notice signs of the crushing news to come.

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The realization began to set in when the hospital directed them to a floor labeled "Oncology," a term for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The next day, in a meeting room full of doctors, the hospital confirmed their fears.

It was Oct. 25, 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone wore masks, but Newton could still see the hurt in her husband’s eyes.

“The hardest part for me was, when they told us this was leukemia, along with some of the details, looking across the table at my husband and seeing his eyes well up," she said. "That was the worst day in a parent’s life.”

Charlie's leukemia is treatable and he has a great chance of surviving

But the family found reasons to be hopeful. In time, they learned that Maloney had a treatable illness called acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and that he has a 90% chance of surviving.

Family and friends offered support at every turn, and Maloney — exhausted from a whirlwind of appointments, medication and chemotherapy — found solace in his favorite video game franchise: Super Mario.

He finds joy in playing the Super Mario Galaxy game on his Nintendo Switch. He and his brother, Wesley, also enjoy watching the "Super Mario Bros. Movie" on repeat at home, reciting the lines and acting out the film together.

Maloney plays the Mario character, and, of course, his brother plays Luigi — faithful companions who jump and dash into every challenge together.

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A Super Mario Bros.-themed golf cart is reason to celebrate

And at the Make-A-Wish celebration, a slice of their favorite fictional universe came to life. The iconic Super Mario Bros. theme song played faintly in the distance, growing louder as a Mario-themed golf cart approached Maloney and his loved ones.

A red "M" adorned the front of the 2023 Yamaha golf cart, and a large speaker, equipped with Bluetooth and LED lights, ensures Maloney can hear his favorite Super Mario songs during neighborhood rides with his family.

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During the unveiling, dozens of his friends and family, along with Make-A-Wish volunteers, staff and donors, smiled and clapped nearby. That's what granting wishes is all about, said Richard Kelly, chief operating officer for the nonprofit's Southern Florida chapter.

Wishes, he said, are about more than a golf cart or a one-day celebration. The goal is to offer support and lasting hope that carries children and their families through difficult times.

“We know wishes help kids feel better," he said. "It’s not just a nice thing we do for them. It’s necessary for their emotional and physical well-being.”

Giuseppe Sabella is a reporter covering Boynton Beach and Lake Worth Beach at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at gsabella@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism and subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Make-A-Wish of Southern Florida celebrates 14,000 wishes in Boynton Beach