Mateo Malcarney had never been on a safari before, but he already knew it would be cool. On Monday, the 12-year-old found out he would finally get the chance, when he was surprised at a party with the news that his Make-A-Wish for an African safari had been granted — and that he and his family would leave for South Africa within just a few days.
The celebration took place at Subaru of Cherry Hill, where the trip was organized and funded by Make-A-Wish New Jersey and the dealership. According to the Inquirer, Mateo was practically vibrating with excitement as he learned his wish had come true. The outlet reported that Make-A-Wish New Jersey is led by president and CEO Tom Weatherall, while Subaru of Cherry Hill is owned and operated by Ziad Nashed.
Mateo was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in May 2025, a diagnosis that forced his family to adapt to what his father, Keith Malcarney, described at the event as a “new normal.” By the time of Monday's party, Mateo's non-Hodgkin lymphoma was in remission. His father said Mateo is now almost entirely back to where he was before his diagnosis, crediting treatment and physical therapy for the recovery, and said he was grateful his son was in remission and hoped it would continue. Mateo's mother, Patricia Malcarney, was also on hand for the celebration.
A Menagerie Joins the Celebration
The party wasn't short on animal guests of its own. Zoophoria NJ brought along several creatures for Mateo and his friends to meet, including Monty, a ball python, and Ew, a Madagascar hissing cockroach. The star attraction, though, was Tripod, a 31-year-old African spurred tortoise fitted with a 3D-printed prosthetic foot.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a group of blood cancers that start in white blood cells. According to American Cancer Society, about 800 children and teens are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the United States each year, and lymphomas make up roughly 15 percent of all childhood and teen cancers — making Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas together the third most common cancer type in that age group; the disease is about two to three times more common in boys than in girls.
Eyes on the Big Five
Mateo and his 8-year-old brother, Carlos, are most looking forward to spotting the African wildlife once they touch down, especially the animals known as the Big Five: African buffalo, rhinoceros, lion, leopard, and African elephant. Mateo named the Big Five specifically as the creatures he can't wait to see in the wild.
The Malcarney family's trip echoes another South Africa safari wish granted years earlier by Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic for a girl named Olivia, who wanted to see elephants in their natural habitat and was surprised with her own wish grant at her middle school graduation in 2018. As reported by Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, Olivia and her family took two three-hour safari drives each day during their trip, heading out at 6 a.m. and again at 4 p.m. For Mateo, the adventure begins in just a few days — a reward, his family says, for a fight that's finally behind him.
