Page 14 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2022

COAST NOTES
Tahoe
Making
Dreams Come True
story by Lynn Lofton
photos by Nadiya Copeland and courtesy of Make-A-Wish
Austin Conner, 17, is like most teenage boys in that he has a keen interest in vehicles. He’s different in that he is recovering from leukemia, which was diagnosed in October 2018 when he was 14. The good news is that he has finished with all of his chemotherapy.
“He actually rang the bell at the University of South Alabama Medical Center,” Christina Conner said of
her son. “His bone marrow and blood work are good but he will be monitored monthly in Mobile. They had to give him a lot of chemo so he needs his body to get strong.”
Now comes the fun part: Make-A-Wish Mississippi is granting Austin’s wish by customizing and updating his 2002 Chevy Tahoe. He will receive the Tahoe later this month and Christina Conner says he is really excited about it. She’s excited too and says she plans to be the first girl to ride in it.
Austin and his brother Wyatt are twins, and the family provided wheels for both boys by Wyatt taking a truck they had and buying the Tahoe for Austin. “It’s such a help to have this upgrade done on Austin’s Tahoe,” their mom said. “We told them to take as long as they need.”
The twins, who have an older brother, Dylan, are distance learners through Pascagoula High School. They plan
to attend community college after graduation next year. After that, Austin
will seek a business degree while Wyatt pursues engineering.
The Wish Society (Women Inspiring Strength & Hope) has been a key factor in fulfilling Austin’s wish. Major donors include Steed’s Collision; The Coating Store; Meineke Car; All Jacked Up; Performance Tire & Wheel; Southern Stitch; Southern Pro Truck; J.W. Puckett; Dunaway Glass; E&M Towing; DND Towing; Sound Solutions; and Camper City.
“We could not have done this build without James Steed, owner of Steed’s Collision,” Jennifer Myers with the
Wish Society said. “He was instrumental in securing
the donations for most of
the outside body work and accessories. The custom paint job alone has a retail value of $8,000.”
“There are unlimited opportunities to have a part
in fulfilling wishes for children experiencing life-threatening illnesses,” says Shellie Marengo Moses, Make-A-Wish Mississippi director for South Mississippi. “World Wish Day is April 29.”
MISSISSIPPI
228.575.8691 www.wish.org
14 | April 2022
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