Girl’s mermaid dreams come true
Make-A-Wish foundation surprises South Florida family
Naomi Hied may be battling a lifethreatening illness, but she is more concerned about mermaids.
Her parents say their 8-year-old daughter is obsessed with the mythical creatures. It has become a pleasant distraction from the sickle cell anemia that leaves Naomi in pain, easily exhausted and in need of blood transfusions.
“She has severe pain that young kids shouldn’t have to go through, or anybody should have to go through, especially at her age,” said father, Philip Hield.
So, Make-A-Wish Southern Florida took the Homestead girl’s obsession a step further — or a breaststroke farther — on July 21.
Naomi became a mermaid.
“They didn’t just surprise her. They surprised the whole family,” said mother Leona Guerrier. “It’s like a wish came true for every one of us.”
Naomi got to meet two other women dressed as mermaids who collected shells with her in the ocean surf at the Boca Beach Club, at 900 S. Ocean Blvd. in Boca Raton. Then, they moved to the hotel pool where Naomi wriggled into her own custom-fitted fins to swim laps with the two mermaids.
“As long as she gets to enjoy herself and have some fun and feel like a princess for a day, I’m happy,” said Guerrier.
Her father said he would gladly swap his childhood dream for hers.
“I wanted to be Spider-Man but it never happened, so I’m happy it happened for her,” Heild said with a chuckle.
COO Richard Kelly said Make-A-Wish Southern Florida has granted nearly 12,000 life-changing wishes since 1983 for children who have critical illnesses.
“The children deserve it and we have an obligation to give their families a respite from what they’re dealing with on an everyday basis,” he said. “We believe this is necessary for the child’s well-being, and their family.”
Naomi got the news about her Make-A-Wish adventure while recovering from surgery to remove her gall bladder.
“When I told her she was chosen, she was screaming and yelling and jumping and she didn’t want to go to sleep,” said Guerrier.
“I don’t know how to express it. It’s amazing.”
More information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation can be found online at sfla.wish.org.