Geneva girl’s wish for playhouse fulfilled

GENEVA – Serena Lewis was 4 years old in 2007 when she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in her brain.

The Geneva girl, who now is 8 years old, had right-sided weakness in her body, with her right arm and leg not working well, said her mother Debbie Lewis.

Serena's tumor was on her thalamus, a structure at the top of the brain stem that has multiple functions, including acting as a relay to other sensory systems and the regulation of sleep and wakefulness.

"It was deep, and she was too young for radiation," Lewis said. "She had two surgeries and a year of chemo that stopped in July. It has drastically decreased. There is a little evidence that something is there, but it's very small."

While she was receiving treatment at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, one of the nurses referred Serena to the Illinois chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. So not only was there good news about her tumor, the family received a letter in the mail.

"She had been granted a wish," Lewis said. "Her wish was to have a playhouse in her backyard."

The Amish-made playhouse was brought to the Lewis' backyard this month, building the 12-by-14-foot playhouse of creamy yellow, pink and green – very girly, her mother said.

"She was happy and turning cartwheels," Lewis said of Serena's reaction to the playhouse.

With six daughters, the family always had a backyard play house, Lewis said. Her husband built one for the first two girls, a pre-fabricated house that withstood three moves.

"It landed in Geneva in very shabby shape and had to be torn down this past year," Debbie Lewis said. "It was moldy and terrible."

But there was the seed for Serena to make her wish. The thing is, Serena is one of four sisters still living at home, two older, ages 11 and 13, and a one younger, age 5.

"The playhouse was custom-sized to accommodate all her sisters still young enough to play in the playhouse," Lewis said. "She can create a lot of happy times in that playhouse with her sisters."

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

"These people bent over backwards," Lewis said. "This gives a child going through something very difficult something positive to think about and takes the focus off the negative experience. It keeps them moving forward happy and excited. While she was going through her chemo regime, she knew she was going to get this beautiful thing and see the fulfillment of it."

Lewis said the Make-A-Wish volunteers not only granted Serena's wish for a playhouse, but on the day of its presentation, they gave her other daughters gift bags of toys.

"That was very sensitive," she said. "I did not expect that at all."

Serena's volunteer sponsor, Richard Suddoth of North Aurora, said he has been a wish granter for Make-A-Wish for nearly 13 years.

"We discuss the concept with the wish child and work to make it happen," Suddoth said.

Adam Shukwit, a wish coordinator, said the Lewis' playhouse cost $10,000, with a portion donated by the company, Suncast Homeplace Structures of Pennsylvania. The company hires Amish craftsmen to build play structures, according to its website.

"It's very fulfilling," Shukwit said. "These families have gone through so much, and it's wonderful to give them an experience to give them hope, strength and joy."