Melony Honea has always adored dolphins and sea life.
It's quite apparent from a peek into her bathroom, which is adorned with a variety of sea creatures along the wall and colorful underwater-themed shower curtain.
Staff photo by Andrew Rogers |
Melony Honea, age 14, who suffers from Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome, a metabolic disorder that is characterized weak muscle tone and organ malformation, sits in her room with her grandmother, Joy Honea, before volunteers from the Make-A-Wish Foundation transform her room into an underwater oasis.
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So, when the 14-year-old Nacogdoches resident, who suffers from Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome, a metabolic disorder that is characterized by weak muscle tone and organ malformations, had the opportunity to receive a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, she opted to have her bedroom transformed into an underwater oasis that would match the bathroom.
Her grandmother, Joy Honea, said the project is one she and Melony's nurses had been wanting to do for quite some time, but never had been able to for financial and logistical reasons.
"Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, it's finally come about," Joy said.
Joy, who has been her granddaughter's full-time caregiver since Melony was 4, said originally she had hoped to be able to take her granddaughter to Sea World in San Antonio to see real dolphins, but Melony's condition would not allow it.
"I wanted to take her there, but she wouldn't have been able to make the trip, and I thought this would be the best thing," she said. "I'm glad we're doing it, because this is something she'll be able to have for the rest of her life."
This past weekend, volunteers from the Kiwanis and Key clubs made their way to the Honea home to redecorate Melony's room.
"I feel this is a really good project for us to do," said Kiwanis Club President Harry Downing. He said the service club, which focuses on building communities and helping children, does many projects to raise funds and scholarships for children. But this is a project where the volunteers get to see how they're helping someone.
Volunteers spent hours on Saturday removing Melony's old furniture and replacing it with a new wooden bedroom set, minus the bed, which Joy said must be a special hospital-type bed that will accommodate Melony's needs.
New curtains were draped across the window, a large underwater mural was spread across one wall, and a host of seaside trinkets were placed on the tops of the new furniture from Ivan Smith Furniture.
Make-A-Wish Foundation coordinator Gay Lynn Gose said the redecorating would include a new bed, as well, but it would not arrive this weekend. She said when the bed comes in, a handful of volunteers will return to put it in Melony's new room.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to children under the age of 18 who have a terminal illness or who suffer from a medical condition sufficiently life-threatening to create a probability that the child will not live past his or her 18th birthday.
