When 12-year-old Pearce from Wilmington, Delaware learned she would have a wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of the Mid-Atlantic, she immediately started writing down all of her wish ideas. After studying about Fiji in school, she realized what she wanted her wish to be. Pearce planned her perfect wish trip to Fiji. She chose to explore the island paradise by air, land and sea while staying at the beautiful beachfront Sonaisali Island Resort with her parents and brother.

The family flew to Fiji just in time to ring in the New Year. As soon as they landed, they were off exploring the island. Her trip kicked off with a river safari that led Pearce to a traditional Fijian village where she drank cava, attended a ceremony hosted by the village chief and danced the day away to the sounds of guitars and drums.

Pearce explored the scenery of the island from every angle. Taking to the open sea, Pearce and her family traveled to another one of Fiji’s 333 islands on a cruise where they snorkeled and swam all day among hundreds of vibrantly-colored tropical fish. She ushered in the last day of her trip from the air with a hot air balloon ride at sunrise to take in the spectacular island views from above.

Pearce told the Make-A-Wish Foundation that she wanted to go somewhere she would not be able to go on her own. It was certainly a spectacular adventure to reward Pearce for how brave she has been during her medical treatments. When asked about her favorite part of the trip, Pearce could only answer, “everything.” Pearce’s family is already saving up for their return trip in a few years.