Kaelon’s Wish

June 8, 2023

Candlelight Ranch was honored to work with the Kids Wish Network to make a wonderful young man’s dream of staying in a treehouse come true! The Kids Wish Network is a national nonprofit organization committed to infusing hope, creating happy memories and improving the quality of life of children experiencing life-altering situations.

Thirteen-year-old Kaelon and his mom, dad and beloved therapy dog enjoyed four days and three nights at the Ranch, discovering the joys of the outdoors and finding healing respite in nature. Kaelon is an exceptionally strong young man who despite his two-and-a-half-year battle with Leukemia continues to seek new adventures and achieve his goals with his loving and supportive parents backing him all the way.

Stargazing, ziplining, shooting archery, rock wall climbing, and lounging in the treehouse gave opportunity for the most important thing a family can do – create joy-filled memories and soak in meaningful time together. While at the Ranch, Kaelon discovered a new love for archery, which after his visit, has taken up as a hobby at home and gained a new sense of self confidence by stepping outside his comfort zone while flying on the ziplines. Time spent outdoors heals the heart, calms the mind and helps us discover what we are truly capable of. Kaelon’s parents reflected on what it was like watching their son at the Ranch. “He has a new confidence now; we are so impressed with how brave he was trying new things. He has been cooped up for so long due to his leukemia, it made him and us so happy being outdoors. Thank you for exposing him to all those activities and helping his confidence soar”.

Many local Burnet County organizations gave generously in both meals and services to ensure Kaelon and his parents had the best time possible while staying at the Ranch. Thank you to Spider Mountain for fulfilling Kaelon’s excitement for new adventures and love for mountains with both lift tickets and mountain bike lessons for him and his family. Additionally, the family was able to visit Longhorn Cavern State Park and Putters and Gutters donated a free evening of bowling! Marble Falls based restaurants including Doc’s Fish and Grill and The Real New Orleans Style Restaurant donated meals and served up some of Kaelon’s favorite foods. Thank you to all who made this wish possible for Kaelon and his parents.

Through the hustle of our daily lives, we forget the importance of taking time to just be with the people that we love the most. Daily stressors, extenuating circumstances, and life in general can make finding that precious time with loved ones difficult. We seek that above all else, the families who visit Candlelight Ranch can take time and just be in joyful present moments together amongst the beauty and solace nature provides. We wish the Whittington Family many loving, present moments together as they continue their journey in healing and hope for Kaelon.