When families, especially children, get the worst possible news, there's one non-profit that makes dreams come true and has been doing so for decades. 

Make-A-Wish has been helping those going through the toughest times of their lives both here and across the country. 

Looking at Scout Orient now, you would never know about the health concerns that started when she was eight years old. One day, she was unable to open her left hand. 

"We thought maybe she strained something," Pamela Orient, Scout's mother, recalled. 

So they took her to the pediatrician, and the news was something they would've never expected. 

"We never in our wildest dreams ever thought that it would be the news that we received," Pamela said. "She had a brain tumor." 

The diagnosis was a brain tumor that had become too large for surgery. After they got the news, she said they were trying to do everything they could to get Scout better, but felt like they were drowning. 

Drowning in 33 rounds of chemotherapy since that fateful day in 2023. 

Then, one call changed everything. That call was from Make-A-Wish. 

"The immediate reaction was just tears because in that moment, you realize, 'Wow, this is something that is going to absolutely change the course of this treatment, and actually the rest of her life,'" Pamela said. 

It was a wish granted and a dream come true through the non-profit's Pittsburgh location. 

"My wish was to go to [the] Florida theme parks and see the princesses, and have a tea party with them," Scout said. 

Make-A-Wish took Scout and her family to every theme park in Florida, where Scout said they got "one million autographs and met everyone." 

Whether it was the countless autographs, meeting the princesses, and getting her very own Harry Potter-themed magic wand, Make-A-Wish provided it all. They also included lodging and, of course, 24-hour access to ice cream. 

"Seeing her laughing and just letting loose, and being a kid again was everything that we could've wanted," Pamela said. "I say it often, and I'll say it forever, children need wishes like they need their medicine." 

Dana Antkowiak, with Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania, said that Scout's wish was granted in April 2024. 

"We are so proud to be here and have the community that we have to support [with] these wishes," she said. 

Antkowiak said the wishes granted show the entire family that there is life beyond illness. 

"We can grant a wish to every single medically-eligible child," she said. "We have never had to turn a child away because of funding, and that is only possible with our community support." 

More than 75% of kids who receive wishes are not terminal. Just like Scout, they're still alive and still fighting. 

"The organization is still with us every step of the way," Pamela said. 

Make-A-Wish provides lifetime support for children, and that fuels hope for their futures. 

"Thank you for all that you have done for my family and I," said Pamela. 

As a non-profit, it's in 57 counties in Pennsylvania, all of West Virginia, and has granted 489 wishes in one fiscal year. 

Along with her wish, Scout has a dessert she helped make at the Fairmont, and $5 from every order of her dessert goes back to Make-A-Wish to help fulfill other families' wishes. 

You can learn more about their work and how you can help on their website right here.