Animal lover Olivia, 5, gets her big wish after winning 2-year cancer battle

MINNEAPOLIS -- After winning a two-year battle against cancer, a 5-year-old girl is getting her wish.

Olivia Beekman's love for animals inspired Tuesday's party to announce her Make-A-Wish dream is being granted.

This very bright and curious little girl can tell you everything you want to know about animals. Her love for animals is reflected in the decorations Make-A-Wish used as a backdrop to grant Olivia the wish of a lifetime.

"It's a big day, yes, It's a culmination of what she's been through," said dad Darrin Beekman.

Olivia spent most of 2019 and 2020 fighting neuroblastoma at Masonic Children's Hospital.

"She was diagnosed two years ago and gone through 18 months of treatment, and it was a really long, long journey we're thankful to be on the other side of that," said mom Grace Beekman.

Once declared cancer free, her Make-A-Wish family knew it was time for her to hang out with the animals her wish. So, the Minnesota Zoo brought several animals to hang out with Olivia.

Then it was on to the special moment of when Olivia's wish of seeing the animals at the San Diego Zoo was granted. A wish come true for a little girl who has a passion for animals and their wellbeing. And a family grateful for the love and compassion of community.

"Surrounded by so much from so many people we don't even know," Beekman said.

Olivia and her family will travel to San Diego in December. That gives her time to learn more about the new animal friends she will meet.