NJ toddler with heart condition receives wish to go to St. Thomas
CEDAR GROVE, N.J. (PIX11) — 3-year-old Oliver found out he's going to paradise.
St. Thomas, that is, where the sun loves to shine, and the water is 82 degrees. A place far better than any hospital room he's spent much of his young life in.
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'This means more than anyone here knows,' said Oliver's mom, Emily Powell.
'When Oliver was born, we moved to Philadelphia for 6 months to go to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia,' said Oliver's dad, Danny Powell.
Oliver, who lives with his family in Warren County, has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and a traumatic brain injury. He's had two major surgeries already, with one still to go. But instead of a hospital room, it's the warm waters of the Caribbean that will welcome him and his family as they depart on Saturday.
'Ollie and his siblings, Summer and Bodie, were welcomed by Make-A-Wish and friends at The Learning Experience in Cedar Grove, which showered him with some of his favorite things, from animals to the sand. A wish granted for a courageous 3-year-old.
'We weren't sure of what his future looked like, and he's made so much progress since he's been home,' said Emily Powell. 'Despite being paralyzed on the left side, he's started to take his first steps, and he's getting stronger, and I just think this trip is going to be a blast for him, especially before he's going to be back in the hospital probably for another few months. I'm just blown away by the generosity and just the love of strangers, and it means so much to everyone.'
More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State
Oliver's wish is one of 500 wishes that Make-A-Wish is on track to grant this year in New Jersey.
'It's so rewarding to be able to put these wishes together and have the whole community come together,' said Dominique Gleason of Make-A-Wish New Jersey.
Now, there's only one thing left to do:
'Probably crawl around the beach and eat ice cream,' said Danny Powell. 'We couldn't ask for anything more. We're blessed that this happened to us.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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