Children often grow up pretending to be in the Army, or maybe even the Navy or the Air Force, but for one special little boy from Washington State, his dream was to be in the Coast Guard. Eight-year-old Andrew Bishop got to see his dream come true last month when he was flown to Alaska and got to train on a real life Coast Guard base, and become an official, although honorary, Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer.
Andrew’s journey was made possible by the Make A Wish Foundation, who flew him and his family to the Air Station Kodiak, in order to fulfill Andrew’s life long dream. Andrew has a life threatening illness, and the Make A Wish Foundation has made it their goal to make sure that every child who faces severe medical issues is able to have their deepest wish fulfilled. For Andrew, that meant being part of the Coast Guard.
However, this trip wasn’t only a once in a lifetime opportunity for Andrew; while he was there Andrew touched the lives and the hearts of the Coast Guard members he came in contact with. Petty Officer, First Class Keola Marfil, trained with Andrew first hand, and said, “”I’ve never been a part of a wish before, It’s amazing to see. … I just feel lucky to be a part of it, because it’s something that he’ll remember for the rest of his life and it’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Andrew first got the idea that he wanted to be a Coast Guard member when he was in Florida for physical therapy. While there, he met a coast guard member from Air Station Miami, and he was immediately enthralled with the idea of being a part of it. As his friendship with someone in the coast guard blossomed, Andrew decided that for his special once in a lifetime wish he wanted to be a coast guard member too.
Andrew’s father, T.J. Bishop, was just as excited as Andrew at the opportunity. “I think I’m probably in more awe than (Andrew) is,” Bishop said. “He will talk about this forever. … He’ll never forget any of this.”
Thanks to the Make A Wish Foundation, dreams really do come true, and the Coast Guard is one tiny soldier richer for it.
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Source: Navy Times
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