FIRTH -- Make-A-Wish Idaho has helped ease the burden on a local family after building a shed that will be used as a therapy studio for 3-year-old Sage Webb.
Catherine Webb, Sage's mother, said when her daughter was six weeks old, she started having weird movements. She was diagnosed with epilepsy at 4 months, and later with Periventricular Nodular Heterotopias, which occurs when neurons fail to move to their correct position.
"Since then, she's been diagnosed with cerebral palsy," Webb said. "She's 3-and-a-half years old, but developmentally she's six months old."
Sage also suffers from several seizures a day. Webb said they are unable to predict when she will have a seizure. Despite all her medical diagnoses, she is a blessing in the lives of her family.
"She's brought so much more understanding of what other people are going through," Webb said. "She's a sweet little girl."
Webb found out that Sage qualified for Make-A-Wish through the neurologist they had been seeing. She filled out the online application, and Make-A-Wish contacted their doctor.
"I did not know we would qualify until our doctor's office let us know about it," Webb said. "It was amazing."
Webb said she expected Make-A-Wish to say no to the project because of how big it was. After it started, she expected them to make the barebones of what they would need, but they came through and made the perfect therapy studio for Sage.
"They gave us so much more than what we expected," Webb said. "They basically made it so you could live in it."
They wanted the studio built for Sage to make it easier for them to fulfill all her therapy needs. Webb said it can be difficult to travel, and this makes it so they have all the equipment they need in their backyard.
"We don't have a big house, so we didn't have a place to put all of her equipment," Webb said. "It's nice to have a designated place and to have different scenery to do her therapy."
Julie Thomas, regional director for Make-A-Wish Idaho, said the project was made possible through the efforts of Make-A-Wish, Home Depot and local construction company Construction Solutions. Home Depot provided the labor and volunteers while Construction Solutions oversaw the project.
"We could not have done it without either group," Thomas said. "It would have been very difficult for us to do."
Thomas said Make-A-Wish is happy that they were able to do this project for Sage and her family. She said Sage is a sweet girl and she is glad to have met her.
"No one deserves it more than these children," Thomas said. "They need some bright spots. It's the best feeling ever."
Anyone who wants to become involved with Make-A-Wish or nominate a child for a wish can contact them at 208-345-9474.
More about Sage's story can be found on her mother's blog at totheedgeandback-raredisease.blogspot.com/2023/08/how-our-lives-changed-diagnosis-journey.html or on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/375174574200541/?ref=share.