Newtown Square Teen Has Reason to Believe This Holiday Season

SPRINGFIELD–Like many young people, 18-year-old Sydney Battista has her goals and dreams. The Bucknell University freshman and Newtown Square native has always envisioned herself scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Now, she will have her chance.

The trip, though, follows after a devastating set of circumstances. In the spring of 2008, Battista was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

“I was having flu-like symptoms. When I found out what it was, it was shocking. It didn’t feel real,” says Battista.

It hasn’t been easy for Battista, who has been through eight rounds of chemotherapy as well as six months of physical therapy. Considering the grueling treatment she’s been through, Battista says she’s very excited that the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Macy’s are helping to fulfill her dream.

On Jan. 4, Battista will leave for Sydney, Australia. She will travel with her dad and sister and spend nine days Down Under, and she’ll get to scuba dive.

“I can never repay Make-A-Wish for this feeling, for the trip. They told me to ‘dream big,’ and I’ve always wanted to go to Australia,” she says.

On Friday, Dec. 9, which was designated “National Believe Day” by the Make-A-Wish Fondation, Battista was presented with a Macy’s gift card, luggage, and a makeover at the Macy’s in Springfield Mall, all in preparation for her big trip.

In honor of “National Believe Day,” Battista asked her family, friends, neighbors, and other community members to write a letter to Santa to drop in the special “Believe Mail Box” at Macy’s. Each letter will generate a dollar, with a goal of up to one million dollars toward the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Fellow Make-A-Wish Foundation recipient Megan Henry, of Prospect Park, was on-hand to share in Battista’s excitement, and also to hand over a special delivery herself.

Since Thanksgiving break, the 18-year-old Cardinal O’Hara High School student collected an overwhelming 1,800 letters to Santa. The kids at O’Hara helped out, as did other nearby grade schools.

As a “wish kid” herself, Henry understands the value of this program. She has been battling a disease called Wegener’s granulamatosis, which is a rare condition that restricts blood flow to certain organs, including lungs, upper respiratory tract, and kidneys.

“I found out in July of 2010. I had a lot of ear infections and sinus problems. I couldn’t breathe when I was running. I thought I would never be a normal teenager again,” says Henry. “I had chemo once a month for six months with some nasty side effects, including medicine that made me look funny. My face blew up.”

During her treatments, Henry says it helped a lot to visualize herself on the beach, so when Make-A-Wish offered her a trip, she chose Hawaii. She spent 10 days in Maui with her dad, mom and brother, and experienced adventures like ziplining, a helicopter ride, ATV excursions and, of course, the luaus.

“Going on the trip made me realize I have the courage to keep fighting, and there is no reason to give up,” says Henry.

As for her future, she says she’d like to go into the medical field, and also keep on working out.

“Now I’m back to normal, back to running again, and feel as good as I can,” she says.

With memories past of an amazing trip to Hawaii, and a bright future ahead, Henry wishes fellow recipient Battista a bon voyage, and surely a life full of healthy, happy memories.

For more information on Make-A-Wish Foundation and the “Believe” campaign, visit their official website.