CBS 58 CALEDONIA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- For a young girl battling cancer, some of life's simplest joys can mean the most.
For Marlen Rugama, getting here took a little more strength than most. Days that should have been filled with school, friends and growing up were instead filled with doctors, treatments and uncertainty as she battled cancer.
“I had to stop going to school. Losing my hair and everything. It really affects me,” said Rugama. “It’s really hard to go through all that but you just really gotta have hope and be strong."
Sometimes, that hope comes in the form of a wish.
“It’s giving that child hope and joy and strength to keep battling their critical illnesses,” said Forrest Doolen with Make-A-Wish Wisconsin.
On Monday morning, Rugama arrived at Crawford and Wright Orthodontics in Kenosha for one very special surprise.
“We’re at her orthodontist office here in Kenosha and we are celebrating her wish come true,” said Doolen.
Rugama’s wish isn't a trip around the world.
“They said I couldn’t bring friends or anything, so I was like," I'm not sure about that,” said Rugama.
It's something she's wanted for a long time.
“I’ve really wanted to get my braces because they seemed cool,” said Rugama.
A new smile.
“It’s something that would stay with me forever,” said Rugama.
It's the 9,500th wish granted by Make-A-Wish Wisconsin since opening its doors in 1984.
“A wish brings healing. It brings hope. It brings life to these kids and their families,” said Doolen.
The organization now grants more than 400 wishes every year.
“You could choose almost anything and that’s amazing, I love that," said Rugama.
For Rugama, this is a moment to celebrate after everything she’s overcome.
“It’s like seeing the light after all the darkness you went through," said Rugama.
