A wish come true

By Katie Nieland - 06/01/2008

Sometimes a little relaxation comes right when it’s needed most.

Jak Mortensen’s vacation came just at that time.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation helped Jak, 4, go on the trip of his dreams to Orlando, Fla., to pet dolphins at Discovery Cove and feed sting rays at Sea World.

Jak, of Butte, was diagnosed with a cancer called neuroblastoma when he was 3. The cancer manifested as a tumor in Jak’s abdomen, wedged in between important arteries, making it risky to remove surgically.

He underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy in Spokane and the tumor shrunk by 50 percent.

Jak’s mother, Laura, said most doctors would not attempt to remove the tumor from such a dangerous location.

“Doctors said he could lose one or both of his kidneys,” she said.

But he didn’t.

A surgery in February in New York successfully removed the tumor.

After a three-week recovery Jak and his family returned home to prep for the Make-A-Wish trip.

Scans for signs of cancer in April showed no evidence of disease.

After such a stressful ordeal, Mortensen said, it was nice for the family to “get away from everything for a while.” Jak was referred to Make-A-Wish through his hospital in Spokane. A volunteer helped Jak decide on a wish.

“At first he just wanted to go to McDonald's,” his mother said. “I told him he had to think a little bit bigger.” Make-A-Wish volunteer Angela Geiss said originally Jak wanted to go to the beach, but after looking at Discovery Cove’s Web site, decided it was perfect.

Geiss said Jak’s choice shows that he wanted the whole family to be involved in his wish — including father Clint, brother, Bo, 8, and sister, Kira, 6.

“I would describe the Mortensens as a fun-loving and close-knit family,” Geiss said. “It’s clear to me that they all understand the importance of a positive attitude and a good sense of humor.” Make-A-Wish set up a send-off party for the Mortensens before the wish trip, complete with a T-shirt for Jake that read: “tougher than cancer.” The trip included Jak’s favorites — Discovery Cove, Sea World, a meeting with Star Wars storm troopers and a trip to Disney World.

The family returned from the trip recently to Butte, which Laura said has been very supportive.

The company for which Jak’s father’s works sponsored a trip for the family to see a monster truck show in Bozeman and Hillcrest Elementary held a fundraiser to help pay for the family’s trip to New York for the surgery.

“The community has really supported us,” she said.

Jak, who will start preschool in the fall, will continue to have regular check ups in Butte to scan for signs of cancer.

The poster from the send-off party remains hanging in the family’s kitchen as a reminder of the trip.

“Make-A-Wish does wonderful things for families,” Laura said. “A trip is not something many of these families can do — and they just happen just when the family needs it most.” Reporter Katie Nieland may be reached at katienieland@gmail.com.

For more info The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alaska, Montana, Northern Idaho and Washington grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Since its inception in 1986, the chapter has granted more than 3,300 wishes to children in the Pacific Northwest and will grant 283 wishes this year alone. For more information about the foundation, call (800) 304-WISH or visit www.northwestwishes.org.