Wish leads local girl to One Direction

Sarah Lopez Sequenzia began thinking about New Hope's Wishes for Kids program when her daughter Eleana Lopez was just 8 months old. Eleana qualified for a wish with New Hope from her earliest days as a result of serious medical conditions, including a congenital heart defect (Tetralogy of Fallot) and an anoxic brain injury (due to oxygen deprivation during surgery). Eleana’s mom decided to wait to apply for a wish until Eleana had defined interests of her own. “If we had sought a wish when Eleana was 3, 5, or even 7, the wish would have been about us. At those ages her interests changed every week,” Sarah said.

Two years ago, the Lopez family applied for a wish for 15-year-old Eleana. Though she had significant cognitive delays, Eleana’s interest in popular culture mirrored the interests of many teenagers. “Eleana had developed three very celebrity-based passions. She loved the Twilight movies, all the Disney Channel stars, and the boy band, One Direction,” Sarah said.

Sarah added that after four years of being inundated by the music of One Direction she, herself, had become a “fan girl.” She shared that Eleana’s crush on lead singer Harry Styles brought her back to her own adolescent days in the 1970s when she swooned over Donny Osmond and the rest of the Osmond clan.

Six weeks ago Lopez Sequenzia contacted Rosie Wilder, the Wishes for Kids director at New Hope, to let her know that Eleana’s most favorite band, One Direction, would be appearing at Universal Studios’ Citywalk in November (with the event airing live on NBC’s Today Show.) Wilder and New Hope volunteers navigated their way through a maze of contacts to make the wish request happen in just one month’s time. Former New Hope board member Lenora Boutte, director of programming and public affairs for WESH, Orlando’s affiliate to the Today Show, was instrumental in making the wish happen. “We are so grateful to Universal Studios, the Today Show, and WESH studios for making Eleana’s special request become a reality,” Wilder said.

On Monday, Nov. 17, a white stretch limo picked up Eleana and her family at their Orlando home at 3 a.m. and drove the family and Rosie Wilder to Universal Studios. Upon their arrival at Universal’s Citywalk, Eleana and her sister Isabelle were whisked off to special VIP seating, where they were invited to listen to One Direction’s sound check in an exclusive seating area. Special VIP passes dangled around their necks, giving them access to some of the best views in the house. A few minutes later Isabelle texted that they were having an amazing time and were seated in “better than the front row.” Sarah said that she wished that she and her husband, the girl’s stepdad, Ven Sequenzia, could have been seated alongside them, but she understood the limited space available at the packed concert. “The wish and the concert are all about the kids,” she said. Sarah shared that Eleana was in good hands with 15-year-old Isabel, who had been helping take care of her older sister for years. “Isabel helps bathe Eleana, picks out her outfits, and even ties her shoes,” she said.

After the sound check the two sisters returned to their parents for a snack, and to wait for 30 minutes until The Today Show went on the air. Isabel remarked that it was already 7:15 a.m., and the late bell for first period at University High School, where both girls are in the sophomore class, was about to ring. She said that she was surprised by the band’s interactivity with the crowd. “We were so much closer to One Direction than I expected,” she said. “The lights were right on you. And when One Direction was blowing kisses, they came right at you.”

Eleana’s reaction to the first part of the concert was another surprise. Though she had been thrilled to make eye contact with her favorite band member, Harry Styles, Eleana was not eager to return to the soundstage for the second part of the show. While she had enjoyed the sound-check, she shared that the band was “loud” and that she wanted to take a break. Sarah explained that Eleana was sensitive to auditory stimulation, and offered to sit with her daughter until she was ready to return. Sarah has dedicated herself to advocating for her daughter’s needs, and helps other families with disabled children navigate the Orange County Public Schools as a parent liaison.

Steven Riftkin from Orlando’s WESH station and his daughter stepped in and saved the day, offering the remaining family members the VIP passes that hung around their own necks so they could accompany and comfort Eleana back on the soundstage. “I wasn’t having fun until Eleana came down (to the concert area),” Sarah said.

“At home we talked about being brave. Being brave isn’t the same as not being scared. Being brave is being scared and dong it anyway. Eleana is the bravest person I know,” she said.

Stepdad Ven Sequenzia also received a pat on the back. His came from Today Show host Matt Lauer, who acknowledged Ven as he wheeled the returning Eleana to her VIP seating.

For the next hour, the family rocked and rolled to the music of One Direction, swaying arm-in-arm to familiar songs like ‘The Story of My Life.” A very tired and happy Lopez-Sequenzia family relived their amazing experience in the limo ride all the way home. Sarah thanked Rosie and New Hope for Kids Children’s Wish. Her only regret was that Eleana’s 18-year-old brother Jose had not been able to attend because of a school commitment. Lopez referred to Rosie as a real life “fairy godmother” who had made her daughter’s dream become a reality. “We are so grateful for an amazing wish, which from our perspective was a visually private concert,” Sarah said. Smiling, she added, “We were so close we could see the whiskers on those boy’s faces.” Sarah said that this special wish would last much longer than one day, and would give the family something to talk about for a lifetime. For information about New Hope for Kids Children’s Wish visit newhopeforkids.org or call 407-331-3059

Pam Ruben is editor of the Central Florida Chatter and the proud parent of a New Hope Wish Kid.