Diagnosed with cancer at age 8, Mateo Goldman needed something like a miracle. He got two
A German strangerâs stem cells became the Massachusetts boyâs first bridge to life. But when his body rejected the treatment, where could he turn?
By Linda MatchanUpdated December 22, 2020, 11:27 a.m.
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It wasnât supposed to be a puppy.
Not that he didnât love puppies. But what 9-year-old Mateo Goldman was really hoping for when he was referred to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in January 2018 was much more unusual than a pet.
Make-A-Wish grants wishes to critically ill children, and 14 months earlier Mateo had been diagnosed with leukemia. Most kids in his situation ask for trips to Disney World, computers, gaming systems, online shopping sprees, playhouses, or room redecorations. Or puppies. Mateoâs request was the kind that Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island doesnât often receive.