Cover image via SAYSFollow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
Meet Lavayan, a brave 9-year-old with spinal muscular atrophy, who recently had her wish to spend a day at a theme park come true
On 26 July, she visited the Lost World of Tambun in Ipoh, Perak on an all-expenses-paid trip organised by Make-A-Wish Malaysia, an NGO that has been fulfilling wishes for critically ill children since 2010.
SAYS joined the Make-A-Wish Malaysia team in Kuala Lumpur early in the morning as they travelled to Ipoh to fulfil Lavayan's long-awaited wish.
Lavayan has relied on a wheelchair and the help of a caregiver for her daily needs since the age of 2. Her condition has also slowed her growth compared to her peers.
Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare genetic disease that affects motor neurons, leading to progressive muscle weakness and wasting due to a mutation in the SMN1 gene. Over time, the condition can worsen and cause breathing difficulties.
During a virtual meeting in early July, the Make-A-Wish Malaysia team shared that Lavayan is currently at her strongest, though her body will gradually become more rigid.
At the theme park, Lavayan was all smiles as she enjoyed a splashing good time with her three siblings, mother, and aunt, under the attentive care of the Sunway and Make-A-Wish teams
We watched Lavayan light up with joy as she enjoyed a swing ride with her brother.
When asked in Mandarin — a language she learned in Chinese school and sometimes playfully uses with her siblings to keep their conversations private from their parents — whether she was afraid on the ride, Lavayan said she wasn't, adding that she wanted to go again.
She and her siblings also had fun at Kids Explorabay, a children's water play area, where they splashed about and enjoyed the cool water under the pleasant weather.
Wanting to make her day extra special, the Make-A-Wish team spent some money at the carnival game booths, trying to win her a teddy bear plushie she had her eye on.
Despite everyone's best efforts — ours included — no rings landed on the bottles during the ring toss, and luck wasn't on our side during the pick-a-duck game either.
Fortunately, the Make-A-Wish team had set aside a budget to ensure Lavayan received the plushies she wanted from the gift store, along with thoughtful gifts for her siblings.
The event's impact went far beyond a single day of fun.
Make-A-Wish representative Nafhan said they hoped the experience would encourage Lavayan to stay strong in her journey.
Describing her mother as a "supermum", Lavayan expressed gratitude to her parents for always taking care of her.
When asked about being called a supermum, her mother redirected the praise to her husband, a factory worker who spends weekdays away from home to provide for the family.
Watch our video with Lavayan below:
Here is how you can help Make-A-Wish Malaysia fulfilling more wishes
If you wish to help children like Lavayan fulfil their dreams, visit the Make-A-Wish Malaysia website, or download their app on Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Make-A-Wish follows a five-step process— from wish capture to wish design, wish anticipation, wish realisation, and wish impact — to complement a child's medical treatment by bringing hope, strength, and joy to both the child and their family through a thoughtfully planned experience.
Learn more about the NGO here.
