Make-a-Wish Foundation helps grant teen’s wish to meet the pope

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:24 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

Make-a-Wish Foundation helps grant teen’s wish to meet the pope 2016-09-30T17:24:01-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

How cool is this?

Read all about it:

She wore a red coat to stand out among the foreign dignitaries and international politicians.

Others in line to meet the leader of the Roman Catholic Church carried gifts: Tapestries, paintings, even the Olympic torch.

Olivia Kassien didn’t have anything, but it didn’t matter

A cardinal wearing Ray Ban sunglasses told her it was time.

She linked arms with her 16-year-old brother, Troy, and walked up to meet Pope Benedict XVI.

“It’s so much bigger than meeting the president or a celebrity,” Olivia, 17, said. “I looked into his eyes and I literally thought he was looking into my soul.”

She worried her illness would prevent her from showing proper respect. Sometimes she can’t kneel because it’s too painful.

The Vatican meeting was the result of a series of long-shot chances that played out in Olivia’s favor.

Visiting Italy had long been her wish; a hope to escape her daily reality of living with a rare disease. But meeting the Pope was something she never thought to request….

…

As a student at the Orange County High School for the Performing Arts in Santa Ana, she studied opera and was singing with the advanced classical choir as a freshman.

She suffered from stage fright so her mother would make her sing in public; markets, parking lots and furniture stores became her stage.

“Once I was able to conquer stage fright … I knew I was good and I really started to love it,” she said.

Just as she was getting comfortable in the spotlight, Olivia was diagnosed with Behcet’s Disease, an incurable autoimmune disorder.

Olivia started showing symptoms at 13 but it took two years for doctors to diagnose the disease, her mother Lisa Kassien said.

Olivia requires infusions every six weeks and chemotherapy treatments because the medicine she takes can cause cancer.

The disease causes ulcers, intense fatigue and extreme joint pain and stiffness that her mother describes as similar to rheumatoid arthritis.

Olivia started missing school and eventually stopped singing.

Lisa submitted her daughter’s story to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and a year later learned she would get a wish.

Representatives from the nonprofit interviewed Olivia, asking her favorite color, favorite restaurant and what kind of music she enjoyed.

Her ultimate wish was to travel to Italy, but meeting Julie Andrews or spending a family vacation in Hawaii was also on her list.

Olivia had kept a running tally of friends she knew who visited Italy.

It was up to 18 people when she got the news in November that she would be able to add her name to the list. But it wasn’t until a week before they were to leave that the Kassiens found out they would head to Rome.

Read more.

Inspiration

Pope

Previous Post

April 11, 2012

Paul Ryan: my Catholic faith helped shape budget plan

Next Post

April 11, 2012 What we have come to: traditional marriage depiction "offensive"?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism education Education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized Vatican VATICAN vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What Christian group commonly uses the Book of Common Prayer?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Lutherans Presbyterians Methodists Anglicans

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »