Diagnosed with brain cancer at 4, Hudson Hedrington is sure the best is yet to come
MINNEAPOLIS — When pandemic lockdowns halted travel, that also meant a pause on dozens of Make-A-Wish trips for young Minnesotans dealing with serious health issues.
In one important way, Hudson Hedrington's wish had already come true — no more cancer.
"I had three surgeries. The first one was cancer, the second was cancer and the third was fluid leaking in my brain," he said. "I have my scar right here, and since I had my haircut it's really easy to see now."
Hedrington, now 10, was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was only 4.
"I think you have to compartmentalize it because if you step back and think about this is your precious child, it's too much to handle," mother Courtney Hedrington said.
A vacation then wasn't a luxury; it was therapy.
Make-A-Wish helped take the Hedrington family to Hawaii, a celebration of Hudson's recovery and a gift for a family to just be in each other's presence.
"The further and further you get away from a diagnosis or surgery, the better the chances are it won't come back. Getting to that point, as a family, we celebrated that this is behind us," father Zach Hedrington said.
Though they were given the trip of a lifetime, the best is still yet to come.
You can help kids like Hudson get much-needed breaks and hope by donating unused airline miles. Donated miles never expire for Make-A-Wish, and they help keep costs down to get more kids their wishes.
Learn more about how you can help by heading to wcco.com/makeawish.