Ramona kindergartener fighting leukemia gets a dream Make-A-Wish day
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Kindergartener Elizabeth “Lizzie” Grant loves her family, her friends and her pets.
Two of those pets — miniature pigs Moose and Marvin — are especially cherished. They have helped the 6-year-old deal with her treatments for leukemia.
Since she was 4, Lizzie has undergone numerous chemotherapy treatments, as well as various other procedures, for her condition. Even a minor fever can mean an immediate trip to a doctor.
When she was recently selected as a “Wish Kid” by Make-A-Wish San Diego, her biggest wish was a play structure, where all those she loves, including the pigs, can spend time together outdoors.
On April 19, Make-A-Wish delivered, going whole hog on Lizzie’s wish with a day that continues to delight the Grant family and their friends.
The day started with a private party for Lizzie’s class at James Dukes Elementary School, followed by a ride in a stretch limo for an afternoon at Dave & Buster’s and concluded with the surprise reveal of her new playground.
“My family and friends are amazing. I love them so much,” Lizzie said about the day’s events.
Spending time with those closest to her is very important to Lizzie, said her mother, Iliana Grant, a paraeducator at James Dukes Elementary.
Lizzie’s other family members include her father, Christopher Grant, a Navy engineer; her 14-year-old sister, Maisie Grant, who lives in Florida; and her 10-year-old brother, Jason Bentley, a fourth-grader at Ramona Elementary.
Iliana Grant is expecting, with the newest family member due to arrive in September.
Lizzie’s classmates are also close to her, said her teacher, Stephanie Vasquez. They only recently learned of her condition.
“It made them very sad. They all love Lizzie,” Vasquez said.
To help them understand Lizzie’s illness, Vasquez said they read a book and had a class discussion about kids beating childhood cancer. She let them know Lizzie’s fight was almost over.
“The other kids were so kind and worried about her,” she said.
Lizzie wanted her classmates included on reveal day, so Make-A-Wish volunteer wish granters Kelly Grosse and Arianna Howard stopped by the school and treated the class to their own surprise party.
The class received a box of homemade cookies that were decorated with yellow ribbons symbolizing childhood cancer, and baked by Ramona resident Tracey Weston, owner of Totally Indulgent and Delicious.
“I loved those, they were delicious,” Lizzie said.
As Lizzie and her family prepared to leave after the party, her classmates ran to surround her with hugs and well wishes.
A black limousine transported the family to Dave & Buster’s in Mission Valley for a couple of hours of fun, giving volunteers the time to install the play structure in the family’s backyard.
Christine Reed, Make-A-Wish San Diego communications director, said they learned about Lizzie’s case through a medical referral.
It was during the “wish discovery process,” Reed said, “that her parents provided us with a Powerpoint her dad had made of all her ideas. That was a first for us.”
Lizzie was diagnosed a few weeks after her 4th birthday, in 2022, her mother said.
“It was a compete shock; we did not see it coming,” Grant said. “She was sick, but it seemed like a normal cold.”
The family was living near Red Bluff in Northern California when Lizzie suddenly fainted while running to first base at a T-ball practice. She was flown from the Red Bluff emergency room to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
Diagnosed with acute leukemia, the youngster has since undergone chemotherapy treatment, including at one point, daily chemo for a month, lumbar punctures and surgery for a chest port.
It was her pigs who helped Lizzie the most during those difficult times, Grant said.
“At the beginning of her treatment, she wanted her pigs with her to cuddle and play,” she said. “They really put a smile on her face. Knowing they have helped her through her toughest moments has made them even more special to us.”
Grant said Lizzie’s pig obsession started when they brought home Moose and “only grew bigger” when they acquired Marvin.
“She loves those pigs to death. They will go into her bedroom with her and she reads them stories. Sometimes she’s a teacher and she teaches them. They both love her, too,” Grant said.
Other family pets include Oakley the goldendoodle and bunnies Daisy and Mabel.
Grant said except for about a year when the family lived near Red Bluff — the same year Lizzie became ill — they have always lived in San Diego. They moved to Ramona about two years ago.
“We met people we love here and we love the community. When we found our house, we decided to stay,” she said of the family home in San Diego Country Estates.
The new Make-A-Wish play structure allows for all of Lizzie’s best friends to spend time together.
“I’m so happy — it’s my piggy playground!” Lizzie exclaimed when she saw the structure.
The two-story playhouse includes two swings, a third tire swing, a slide, steps and a climbing ladder.
An enclosed room on the ground level features a sandbox and “piggy doors” — painted pink, with handles shaped like pig noses. A separate covered area has a large blackboard for chalk drawing.
The top level houses another covered room and a spacious balcony.
For the reveal party, the structure was covered with pig-shaped balloons in a rainbow of colors, as well as banners with pig motifs.
Moose and Marvin, who wore yellow ribbons for the event, lounged by a large wooden picnic table covered in supplies for rock painting. The table was included as part of the reveal.
“I’m so happy. My favorite part is everybody coming over and sharing it with my friends and family,” Lizzie said.
With the piggy playground installed, the family has at least one more wish — Lizzie’s final medical treatments.
“She rings the bell signaling the end of her chemotherapy treatments on May 16. All her procedures should be completed within a couple of months after that,” Grant said.
Since 1983, Make-A-Wish San Diego has granted more than 5,000 wishes to children diagnosed with critical illnesses throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties.
Community support for Lizzie’s wish came from Momma Ramona’s Pizzeria, Home Depot Escondido, Genentech, Inc., Sundt’s Construction volunteers and AGC Charities, La Costa Limousine, Dave & Buster’s, Playhouse Warehouse and Pierre Landscape.
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