Swansea teen doesn’t let difficult diagnosis stop her from smiling and Make-A-Wish is giving her a new reason to grin

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI— A local teen has had a rough go of it from a young age. Her diagnosis hasn’t stop her from smiling though and Make-A-Wish is giving her a new reason to grin.

Last week, 17-year-old Julia McMullen of Swansea got quite the surprise when she arrived at Papa Gino’s in East Providence. What Julia thought was a typical pizza dinner turned out to be a celebration to let her know that Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island will grant her wish to go to Walt Disney World® Resort.

Julia loves dolls, stuffed animals, and arts and crafts. But she absolutely loves Disney. Julia’s mom says Disney is her “happy place.” She loves Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and the Disney princesses. Julia even says she wants to work at Disney World someday.

Julia, who was diagnosed with intractable epilepsy at age 7, has had a difficult journey, including a period when she had months of constant seizure activity. “Julia has such a kind heart and the best smile and laugh,” says her mom, Angela. “It will be nice to get away and kind of ‘forget’ about epilepsy for a while.”

In attendance at the party were Julia’s family and representatives from Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including Wish Coordinator Hannah Arbuthnot and wish-granting volunteer Diane Nunes. “It was a pleasure to be a part of Julia’s wish reveal,” said Diane. “She was so excited to see her family there to surprise her and they all had a wonderful time together.” The party was made extra special by the Papa Gino’s team.

Enjoy your trip Julia and show off that great smile.