MAKE-A-WISH Malaysia, a non-profit organisation dedicated to fulfilling the wishes of children aged 3 to 18 with critical illnesses, has marked its 1000th wish milestone.
In partnership with Sunway Malls and Theme Parks, the organisation granted its 1000th wish to 9 year-old Ayra Medina, a neuroblastoma patient.
Members of the public and donors were invited to the "Pearl of Hope: A Royal Celebration," where they witnessed Ayra's dream of becoming a "mermaid princess" and participating in her wish-granting journey.
"At Make-A-Wish Malaysia, we are deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our donors and partners, which has enabled us to grant 1000 wishes. We strive to give back to the community by sharing the joy and power of a wish to critically ill children worldwide," says Make-A-Wish Malaysia CEO Irene Tan.
Ayra's journey began with a "royal coronation" at Pink Island in Sunway Lagoon, where she was ceremoniously crowned by Selangor princess, Tengku Datin Paduka Setia Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who is also the Royal Patron of Make-A-Wish Malaysia. She was then presented with an official pearl sceptre by Calvin Ho, executive director of Sunway Theme Parks, to complete her "coronation".
To fulfil her wish and complete her transformation into a mermaid princess, Ayra headed to the Surf Beach pool, where she donned her mermaid tail and wetsuit. There, she met other life-sized "mermaids" who were waiting to join her in the water and participated in a seashell hunting activity.
As part of the 1000th wish celebration milestone, guests in attendance were invited to explore activities inspired by Ayra's dream of being a mermaid princess. They enjoyed a royal mermaid makeover, complete with face painting and hair styling, and posed with their most creative mermaid poses at the curated underwater selfie photo corner. Attendees also got to enjoy mermaid-themed cupcakes.