A dream fulfilled for boy fighting cancer

Winnie the Pooh was the one that helped 4-year-old Bryce Quenzer through the worst of the chemo and radiation treatments, and blood draws as he fought cancer.

His mother, Natalia, recalls carrying Bryce through the hospital when he was too weak to walk. Always in her other arm was a stuffed Pooh bear.

So, it came as little surprise when nurses asked Bryce who he wanted to meet most, the answer was Winnie the Pooh.

The Whitefish boy’s dream was fulfilled last month by Make-A-Wish Montana.

Bryce, along with his mother, father Trevor, and brother Nikolas spent a week in Florida together visiting several theme parks.

Looking at a photo of Bryce standing with Pooh, along with Nikolas, 7, standing with Tigger, Natalia says that moment made the whole trip.

“It was a moment that brought happy tears,” Natalia said. “Pooh bear carried him through so much.”

At just 3-years-old, Bryce was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor, a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children. He had four surgeries, and one kidney that was engulfed by cancer had to be removed.

Bryce is now in remission, but will need follow-up checkups for many years to come.

Natalia calls Bryce her “little fighter.” Even through the chemotherapy that made him sick and caused his hair to fall out, he never complained.

Bryce will have to be more cautious even into adulthood, says Natalia, but the goal now is to continue to make positive memories like they did on the Make-A-Wish trip.

The Quenzers visited multiple theme parks including Magic Kingdom, Epcot, SeaWorld and Universal Studios. The family stayed in a villa at the Give Kids the World Village.

“It was incredible,” Natalia said. “To be able to take a vacation together as a family. My husband and I work opposite schedules, so we don’t always get that chance. It was an indescribable opportunity.”

She noted that being separated as a family was hard. While Bryce went through treatment, she was with him at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Wash. Trevor and Nikolas visited, but stayed home in Whitefish.

“Make-A-Wish and Give Kids the World were beyond accommodating and over the top generous to complete strangers, like our family and so many others over the many years,” she said. “It is overwhelming in the best way, the understanding and compassion they show to children who have been through extraordinary traumatic experiences.”

At SeaWorld, the boys got to see dolphins, penguins and turtles, and were splashed by Shamu. But getting a chance to stick their hands into the water and pet a live stingray was a definite highlight.

Bryce’s eyes light up recalling the moment, saying it was his favorite.

“They took the sting out,” he says seriously, describing how the stingray barbs have been removed so it is safe to pet them.

The boys rattle off the list of animals they got to see at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with zebras, giraffes, rhinoceroses and gorillas as the favorites. At the theme parks, any ride that involved water was a big hit.

At Magic Kingdom, Bryce met Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck, who tried to give him and his brother kisses.

“I tried to run away,” Bryce says with a smile.

Make-A-Wish Montana is a nonprofit organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.

For more information, call 1-877-574-9474 or visit www.montana.wish.org