Dream come true for local seventh-grader

Bon Voyage, Blaine Newman.

The seventh-grader at Woodland Middle School is headed to Atlantis in the Bahamas later this month, courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“It’s going to be amazing,” said his mom, Amie Newman.

Blaine has been waiting for over a year to hear about this trip, wrote Victoria Michael, local Make-A-Wish Foundation, wish granter.

The send-off party, when Blaine finally learned that he would be departing Feb. 22, was held Saturday evening at Virtual Reality CDA in Coeur d’Alene.

Blaine, joined by friends and family, played virtual reality games for the first time and laughed as they celebrated.

“He was just excited about hanging out with his friends,” said his mom.

Blaine is battling Burkitt’s lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in which cancer starts in immune cells called B-cells. Recognized as the fastest-growing human tumor, Burkitt’s lymphoma is associated with impaired immunity and can be fatal if left untreated. 

Blaine underwent six months of intensive chemotherapy, his mom said. Treatment ended in 2017 and he is in remission as of Feb. 22, 2018.

“He’s definitely getting back his energy and doing the normal things for his age,” Amie Newman said. “He’s a teenager now so we’re doing the normal stuff — he’s doing well.”

Michael said Blaine’s wish was to go to Atlantis.

“He likes sharks but as cool as he thinks they are, he is nervous at the idea of being near them,” she wrote.

Michael said being a wish granter is an amazing experience, “but it would be a much harder job for volunteers like myself if we did not have such a generous community.”

Aside from his medical history, Amie Newman said Blaine is an average 13-year-old boy. He enjoys video games, drawing, and riding his bike.

Amie and Blaine will be joined by three family members on their trip. She said her son will be thrilled when they head out.

“I’m excited to be able to break away from life and all the big responsibilities of life and enjoy my son and his being in remission from cancer,” she said.

She had high praise for Make-A-Wish.

“I think it’s an amazing program that is available and given to families who have gone through these struggles,” Amie Newman said. “It just amazes me, the volunteer helps that comes through to help people.”