Surf City helps ‘make a wish’ for a Colorado family

SURF CITY, NC (WWAY) — Surf City Leaders and community members are opening their arms to a little girl in the Make a Wish Foundation.

When Rena and Mike Garcia made a wish to take their daughter Natalie to the beach, they didn’t know what they were going to get when they left their Colorado home for a week in Surf City.

“We thought we were going to be having chips and salsa and maybe baking some frozen pizzas and just enjoying a week on the beach,” Rena Garcia said.

All they wanted was for Natalie to feel the sand between her toes one last time.

“Doctors told us she would not be here at 10 and she’s almost 12,” Garcia said.

At five years old, Natalie was diagnosed with a rare Mitochondrial disease that her mom says only 18 other people in the world had at the time.

“She’s basically an 11 year old new born, but she’s happy,” Garcia said.

Garcia said she’s never seen Natalie happier thanks to Surf City.

“I’m telling you the generosity of the strangers has been overwhelming,” Garcia said. “It brought tears to our eyes.”

She said they walked into a house full of gifts, food, boat rides and tours.

“She got to touch a turtle, which was amazing,” Garcia said.”We had a truck come and cook us dinner one night.”

Pageant queens from across the state even came to crown Natalie as the 2015 Spot Festival Honorary Queen. It was an emotional moment for everyone.

“I was crying,” Garcia said. “I had tears in my eyes just to see her so happy.”

Garcia said for a moment, she felt like Natalie got to be a regular young girl.

“For her to see that and see all the girls with their crowns and her to be right in the middle was absolutely phenomenal,” Garcia said.

Garcia said it was a phenomenal beach trip, none of them could have expected.

“Truly a make a wish trip,” Garcia said.

The Make a Wish Liaison Missy Ostrishko said they had so many donations, the Garcia family would have had to stay for a month to do all of them, but they will be heading back to Colorado Saturday night.