Chandra's India Wish

Chandra was only three months old when she left an orphanage in Calcutta, India. She flew half way around the world to join her adopted mom in Utah, who jokes that Chandra was the best thing she ever ordered. But no one was joking the day Chandra was flown by Life Flight to Primary Children's Hospital.

Chandra spent months in the hospital struggling for her life. When she was finally well enough to leave the hospital, her mom contacted Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah to arrange for Chandra to make a wish. After exploring several options, Chandra realized her true wish was to go to India to learn about her native land and visit the orphanage in India where she was born.

Not long afterwards, Chandra and her mom began the arduous 36-hour plane trip to India. When they arrived in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) they were both amazed by the beauty of the country and the architecture, yet overwhelmed by the poverty and sheer number of people.

Chandra was distraught when they arrived at the orphanage only to find it had been closed two years earlier and the doors were locked. They were told there was no one with a key to let them in. But she experienced what we call “Make-A-Wish Magic” when a man appeared, saw Chandra crying, and said he had a key and would let them in.

"Going to the orphanage is probably what touched me the most," Chandra said. Although the building was very old, there were still pictures of the children on the orphanage walls. Chandra said if you were quiet, it almost seemed as if you could hear children playing.

Chandra receives ongoing treatment for lupus and chemotherapy to help her kidneys function. Yet, she has a very positive outlook on life, and said her wish gave her a better appreciation of all the things she has been blessed with in Utah.