A dream over two years in the making is finally coming true for 10-year-old Owen Ningeulook.
Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Ningeulook family will travel over 2,200 miles from their home of Shishmaref to Orlando, Fla., where a week at Disney World awaits.
But before boarding the jet in Nome on Friday, Ningeulook was treated to a hero’s send-off by Alaska Airlines. Cardboard cutouts of R2-D2 and C-3PO graced the waiting area of the Nome airport. Alaska Airlines also gifted Ningeulook a Spiderman backpack packed with travel goodies and let the family of six board first.
Once in Orlando, the Ningeulooks will stay at the 89-acre Give Kids the World Village. There, families of those dealing with critical illnesses are invited to stay for free.
When Ningeulook was 7 he began feeling lethargic and was often unable to focus on finishing his homework. It wasn’t until he collapsed into bed that the family knew something wasn’t quite right. Weeks later, they found themselves in Anchorage. After a series of tests, Ningeulook was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder that results in low red blood cell counts.
Ningeulook said the travel doesn’t bother him, he’s a frequent flier after all. He spent eight months in Anchorage before spending 14 months in Seattle. There, he underwent two bone marrow transplants at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
To keep his son’s connection to his family, Ningeulook’s father, Christopher Ningeulook, said the family bought two PlayStation 5 gaming consoles — one for Seattle and one for home — so his three sons could play “Fortnite” and “PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds” together online.
All that time away from home, needles, medication, and isolation took a lot of courage. Ningeulook’s father, Christopher Ningeulook, said his son was a fighter through it all.
“I would say, you know, we're lucky it happened to him, out of all our kids, he's a trooper,” Christopher Ningeulook said.
Owen Ningeulook finally returned home to Shishmaref in August, nearly two years after he began his journey toward recovery. He’s set to return to Seattle for further treatment in January, but for now he says he’s looking forward to spending some time in the sun.
