Make-A-Wish gifts American Falls child new playset

AMERICAN FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – On Saturday, Make-A-Wish Idaho partnered with The Home Depot Foundation to fulfill the wish five-year-old Eileen Gutierrez by building a playset in her backyard.

Eileen was diagnosed with leukemia in June of 2019 and has battling the disease for almost two years. Eileen wished for an outdoor playset, so she could swing and slide alongside her sister, Itzelle.

"It's really exciting," said Eileen's mother Yeraldi Gutierrez. "She deserves it. It’s been really rough for her, and we're super excited for this."

Make A Wish Regional Director Julie Thomas says the Gutierrez family deserved a break from reality during this difficult time.

"These children are thrown into adult situations," Thomas said. "They don't ask for it. They’re put in situations that no child should ever have to go through. So, to be able to come in and do something special and give them a little bit of sunshine is fantastic."

Gutierrez says Eileen is on schedule to finish her treatment in August and is ready to start kindergarten in the fall.

Eileen now has the whole summer to enjoy the new playground she'd been waiting for.