Reese Landry is 14 years old, from Prairieville, Louisiana, and she just got the trip of her life: a journey to New York City, where she’s hoping to eat her way through Little Italy and Chinatown. The teenager was born with a rare liver disease that required medical procedures starting when she was just three weeks old, and years later she underwent a successful liver transplant.
A Dream Years in the Making
Reese is fulfilling her dream of visiting New York City with support from the Make-A-Wish Foundation and local CPA firm Mauldin & Jenkins, according to WDSU. The station reports that the firm and Make-A-Wish together raised more than $200,000 to grant her wish. Beyond the hospital visits that marked her early years, Reese is described as a typical teenager who loves dancing and is active in her school’s color guard.
When asked what she’s most looking forward to in the city, Reese kept it simple and delicious: “Food, like Little Italy, Chinatown,” she said, per the same report. Her father, Jeremy Landry, said he and his family were surprised and excited by the gesture, and admitted they felt possibly undeserving of it because things in their lives have been going well.
Behind the Wish: A Statewide Waitlist
Shelly Millwee, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana, said the organization offers children hope and strength through a journey during difficult health and family situations, the station’s report notes. Millwee’s chapter has said it is working on granting 300 wishes in Louisiana, a goal that reflects a long waitlist across the state. As of October 2024, the chapter reported that 305 Louisiana children were waiting for their wishes to be granted, according to Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana.
The chapter has said it serves all 64 parishes in Louisiana and keeps the money it raises local, so funds stay in the state to grant wishes for Louisiana children. Per givenola.org, the organization has granted more than 12,200 wishes since it was founded in 1984, and more than 300 Louisiana children are still waiting on a wish, including more than 100 in the Greater New Orleans area alone.
Other Louisiana Wishes, Other Journeys
Reese’s story joins a string of recent Make-A-Wish moments across the state. Another Prairieville teen, identified as Khloe C., 18, was featured in ESPN’s 20th anniversary “My Wish” special after undergoing a liver and kidney transplant tied to a genetic disorder, according to The Advocate. Her wish was to meet Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, and the segment was set to premiere during SportsCenter at 8 a.m. on July 19, the outlet reported. ESPN’s annual “My Wish” series partners with Make-A-Wish to grant sports-themed wishes for children with critical illnesses.
In Lafayette, a send-off celebration honored 5-year-old Walker, who was in remission from leukemia, ahead of his Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World, according to a July 14, 2026, KLFY report. That report notes that Make-A-Wish covers the entire cost of approved trips, a policy that echoes the full community backing behind Reese’s own journey to New York City.
