February 10, 2025 By The Make A Wish Foundation, Photos taken by Dan Leahy
It was a Saturday morning that 12-year-old Sebastien English won’t soon forget. His planned visit to the local fire station with his family turned out to be a big celebration for the Hingham boy, hosted by the Hingham Fire Department and the Hingham Police Department, with thrilling news to share: Sebastien’s wish to go on a Disney cruise will soon be granted!
Sebastien’s wish will be fulfilled by Make-A-Wish ® Massachusetts and Rhode Island, which grants life- changing wishes for local children with critical illnesses. Sebastien, who has a genetic disorder, loves Disney – movies, shows, and characters. He knew that a Disney cruise was right for him after he recently attended Disney on Ice. He also loves fire trucks, puzzles, and sports, especially playing adaptive basketball.
Along with police officers and firefighters, Sebastien’s surprise celebration included comfort dogs from the Plymouth County Comfort Dogs Program, accompanied by their handlers, dozens of students from Hingham High School, and many of Sebastien’s classmates and neighbors, all gathering to surprise Sebastien and wish him well on his wish trip. The students’ energetic welcome line greeted Sebastien, who was overwhelmed but joyful as he took it all in.
Once inside the fire station, first responders announced to Sebastien that his wish for a Disney cruise will soon be coming true. Sebastien’s Make-A-Wish volunteer team of Maeve Wilson of Braintree, MA, and Caitlin Wells of Boston, MA, were also on-hand to be part of the excitement.
Sebastien was then treated to a tour of the firehouse, a demonstration with the comfort dogs, and a ride on a firetruck, followed by pizza and cake.
“It’s really emotional that so many people came out to support Sebastien. He’s such a bright spot in so many people’s lives,” said Sebastien’s mother, Nathalie English.
“It was really heartfelt and overwhelming,” said Sebastien’s father, Clayton English, as he described the feeling of walking through the cheering welcome line with Sebastien. “It really makes you feel like there are a lot of people out there in the community who care.” “And who want to share in Sebastien’s joy,” added Nathalie.
The celebration gave the Hingham and Make-A-Wish communities the chance to embrace Sebastien and his family, who moved to the area recently from Houston, TX. They are still getting acclimated to their surroundings and in particular, ways to get Sebastien involved in local activities like those he enjoyed in his previous hometown.
“This was such an amazing opportunity for the community to come together with Hingham Police and Hingham Fire to grant Sebastien his wish,” said Hingham Fire Deputy Chief Louis Lachance. “For a new family to town, this shows the commitment of the Hingham community to fellow residents in this town.” Maeve Wilson, one of two Make-A-Wish volunteers who are working with Make-A-Wish staff to plan Sebastien’s wish, shared, “Sebastien is a little bundle of joy. He is so sweet and I think he was really excited to be here and to see all the people who came out for him.”
Wilson is also a wish recipient herself, having been granted her wish for a Mediterranean cruise in 2019. “I love to bring hope and joy to other wish families as a wish-granting volunteer. A wish brings so much hope – it gives you family time that you need and helps you know that you can do hard things. Wish kids go through a lot…I often think of my wish as having been healing magic. It brought something to my family that just made us so much better.”
Wilson is a member of the Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island “Wish Community” which connects alumni wish recipients and their families to one another and provides activities and opportunities to stay engaged with Make-A-Wish long after a wish is granted.
As Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island finalizes plans for Sebastien’s cruise, the charity is working to grant the wishes of over 650 local children who are currently eligible for and awaiting a wish. To learn more about how individuals, businesses, and community groups can help build hope for wish children, visit www.massri.wish.org.
See more photos from this event below