Cancer-stricken Texas girl gets dream day with koalas
Palm Beach Zoo helps 8-year-old make her dream come true.
WEST PALM BEACH — As a procession of pink flamingos marched by a few feet away, 8-year-old Katie Higginbotham stood inside a cage at the Palm Beach Zoo eagerly anticipating her meet and greet with the adorable, furry and cuddly animal with the big, fluffy ears she and her family had flown more than 1,200 miles to see up close.
Katie, from Lavon, Texas, has been battling since she was diagnosed with pilocytic astrocytoma, a type of tumor on the brain stem, in October 2016.
Katie’s battle has included a year’s worth of chemotherapy, six weeks of daily radiation treatments and a Feb. 15 brain surgery to remove a cyst. During the surgery, a biopsy was done on the tumor. It revealed that Katie had developed a more aggressive form of brain cancer.
The family’s original plan to make a trip to Australia fell apart because of medical concerns, so with the help of the Make-A-
Wish Foundation and the zoo, they made a detour to South Florida.
Tuesday, flanked by her mother, Lori, her father, Rick, and 6-year-old sister Abigail, Katie got a personal experience with her favorite animal — the koala.
In a 30-minute private session with Oz and Katherine, the Palm Beach Zoo’s Queensland koalas, Katie was able to live out her dream, posing for photos and learning all about the animals she has loved since she was young.
Quietly walking into the cage, Katie was as wide-eyed as the koala, all the while holding her smiling father’s hand. Tabbitha Beckens, a keeper at the zoo, joined the family, answering questions and providing facts about the koalas.
“It was amazing because this is something she has wanted for quite a while now and it was nice to be able to be there, see her, and experience this with her,” Lori Higginbotham said.
The trip was a surprise to Katie, who found out about her soon-to-be adventure to Florida only on Thursday, despite both parents admitting they nearly spilled the secret a few times.
“It’s been a lot for Mommy and I to keep it a secret, and I’m the world’s worst at keeping secrets, so I nearly ruined it a couple of times,” Rick Higginbotham said.
For the rest of their time in Florida, the Higginbothams are hoping to relax on the beach, sprinkle in some family photos and even take part in a sea turtle experience.“What was so great about this whole situation is making memories and pulling everything together in order to use what time we do have left to make her happy,” Rick said.
Katie was treated to a lunch in her honor at the zoo following her time with the two bears. Experiences like Tuesday, along with future trips that the family has planned, are helping to ensure that the family is making the most of their time with their daughter.
“It’s terrifying because we know this is a dream that’s coming true, but we also know this may be one of the last trips that she takes,” said Rick. “We’re trying to make every little memory and capture every moment for her, and for us as well.”