His wish granted, Tomas Hernandez takes a joyful spin

By Ginny Privitar
GOSHEN — Nine–year-old Tomas Hernandez is non-verbal, but his joy was plain to see. He smiled beatifically and occasionally closed his eyes in sheer bliss as his father spun the merry-go-round he sat on.
The merry-go-round was a gift from the Make-A-Wish foundation. Members of Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley and local officials from the towns of Monroe and Chester came together on the early evening of Aug. 6 to make this wish a reality.
Tomas, who lives in Goshen, has Down’s syndrome with unspecified metabolic disorder. He cannot walk, talk, or eat. Nutrition is provided through a feeding tube and intravenously. He's had multiple surgeries, mostly abdominal, and more than 100 hospitalizations.
His stay-at-home mom, Dorothy, said she thinks he can understand his parents a little bit. He communicates with whines and grunts. Two RNs also help care for the boy.
Balloons and pinwheelsThere was a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at the merry-go-round, with the honors were done by Tomas’s five-year-old sister, Isabella. The backyard was decorated with balloons and dozens of pinwheels.
His dad, Miguel, brought Tomas’s wheelchair up to the merry-go-round, lifted him up, and seated him on his new ride. Everyone took photos as a delighted Tomas, spun by his dad, whirled around and around.
Dorothy said she was urged by his pediatrician and his home care case manager, Amy Reischer, to contact Make-A-Wish. Because Tomas loves to spin, the merry-go-round was the perfect thing to wish for.
Special gifts were presented by four members of the Town of Goshen Police Department: John Kitsos, Stan Lupinski, James Boyd, and Sergeant Alan Faust. They gave Tomas a T-shirt and cap, a Town of Goshen Police patch, and a splendid, shiny badge, in addition to a citation.
“He totally has our heart, and it hits home to myself because I have a son who had a ‘Make-A-Wish’ himself,” Faust said. “It’s wonderful — to bring a smile to any child’s face, we do whatever we can.”
Tomas’s family also includes his sisters Olivia, 18; Victoria, 15; and Isabella, 5, who are a big help and mindful of their brother’s needs.
The highway departments of the towns of Monroe and Chester helped move a swing set and poured crushed stone for the subsurface for the new merry-go-round. A vendor supplied a rubber surface on top of that for a safe surface, and then the merry-go-round was installed.
Town of Monroe Supervisor Tony Cardone was on hand for the reveal, as was Town of Monroe Highway Superintendent John Scherne, and Town of Chester Highway Superintendent Anthony La Spina.
Make-A-Wish volunteers Rosemary Knapp and Sherrie Braun-Cole were the primary wish granters; they visited the home and spoke with Tomas’s family and therapist to discover his wish. Other volunteers, including Brian Gallo, wish volunteer, and his wife, Melissa Gallo, Goshen town board member, attended, as did Kelly Johnston, wish coordinator for Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley. The organization paid for the equipment and installation.
Miguel and Dorothy Hernandez expressed their appreciation.
“We’re very grateful and thankful for the Make-a Wish team, the Monroe and Chester highway departments and the Town of Goshen Police Department," they said.
About Make-A-Wish Make-A-Wish will provide a wish for any child with a critical illness (a degenerative, progressive or malignant condition). The condition doesn’t have to be terminal. Their mission statement declares: “Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. A wish should capture the unique imagination and desires of each individual wish kid.”
Make-A-Wish has 300 active volunteers in eight Hudson Valley counties. They grant average of 120 wishes a year. There are five categories of wishes: to go, to be, to have, to meet, to give (to another or another organizations).
You can contact them or make a donation to help other children on the Make-A-Wish website hudson.wish.org or by calling 914-478-9474.