Make-A-Wish Utah launches partnership with Breeze Airways, grants wish of local girl

Bubbles filled the air and the crowd at Make-A-Wish Utah’s headquarters clapped and cheered as Sophia Ostler was pushed into the room in her wheelchair.
12-year-old Sophia was joined by her family as Make-A-Wish Utah in partnership with Breeze Airways officially proclaimed that her wish to go to Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando would be fulfilled.
“It’s amazing seeing how many people care so much,” Sophia said. “It’s amazing how much effort other people try to put in to help kids like me.”
Sophia was left paralyzed from the neck down after a car accident last year led to spinal injuries. Along with being in a wheelchair, her condition also requires her to have a trach tube to help her breathe and a G-Tube to help her receive nutrition.
“I’m in pain some days, but it’s all right, because you’ve just got to keep going, because that’s the only way things will get better,” Sophia said.
Sophia’s father, Craig Ostler, said they haven’t been able to travel or do many activities since Sophia’s accident last year.
He said that traveling with Sophia’s wheelchair and other medical devices can be very difficult logistically, so without the help of Breeze and Make-A-Wish, a trip like this wouldn’t be possible for them.
“It’s incredible, to try and do this without a lot more help. I don’t see how you could do it,” Craig said.
Sophia and her family, who live in American Fork, will be taking the trip to Florida in February.
The announcement was made in front of a room full of employees from both Breeze and Make-A-Wish. Sophia also received gifts from employees of both companies, including Harry Potter and Disney-themed toys in honor of her upcoming trip.
Sophia, who smiled and made jokes throughout the event, said she is looking forward to seeing her little sister meet Mickey Mouse and other characters at Disney World as well as riding on wheelchair accessible rides and trying new food.
“I wanted to go my whole life, and Universal Studios as well, but, it’s so expensive you can never make it there,” Sophia said. “So it’s really cool, because now I’ll be able to go there.”
Along with fulfilling Sophia’s wish, Breeze Airways announced a partnership with Make-A-Wish Utah which will be known as “Breeze for Wishes.”
According to Make-A-Wish Utah CEO Daniel Dudley, Breeze reached out to them to see ways they could work together.
“You want to be able to do well while doing good and and I think, you can’t go wrong with that,” Breeze Airways CEO David Neeleman said.
According to Neeleman, about half of the kids who work with Make-A-Wish want to go to Disneyland in California or Disney World in Florida.
The airline provides daily flights to Santa Ana, California and just recently started flights from Provo to Orlando.
“So they will provide flights for over 100 families, Utah families who have a child with a life threatening medical condition to their wish destination, whether that be Orlando, Florida or Santa Ana in California. So they are truly making wishes come true,” Dudley said.
Along with providing flights and travel needs for wishes, Breeze will also help raise funds for Make-A-Wish Utah and other chapters.
“Any child who’s 2½ to 18 years old that has a life threatening, degenerative, progressive or malignant illness is eligible for a wish,” Dudley said of the Make-A-Wish organization.
Usually the child gets referred to the organization by a member of their medical team.
“That team is using the wish as an essential part of their treatment plan to provide hope and give them resilience as they battle their illness,” Dudley said.
Last year, Make-A-Wish Utah was able to grant the wishes of 251 kids, and this year they have the goal of granting over 220 wishes.
Dudley said that partnerships like the one with Breeze are the difference between wishes being granted or not.
“Make-A-Wish Utah is purely funded by local donations, whether those be cash donations or in kind donations. So it is through the kindness and generosity of companies and community members that wishes are granted,” Dudley said.