Beyond The Wish: Alana
Thirty-six years after Alana's wish came true, parents Andrea and Paul reminisce on how a community came together to make their daughter Princess of Wodonga
As we celebrate 40 years of making wishes come true, we’re sharing some of the heart-warming stories that remind us of what's possible through the power of imagination, highlight the invaluable connection of community, and showcase the lasting impact of a wish. ⭐
Alana's personality shines
In 1989, seven-year-old Alana put on a dress and a tiara, and her wish ‘to be a princess’ came true.
In preparation of her wish, a dressmaker met with Alana to discuss her outfit and all its delicate details, including the lace that would sit on top of her princess dress.
Andrea, Alana’s mum, remembers her daughter being steadfast in all her decisions - telling the dressmaker precisely what she wanted.
“There was lace going on the gloves too, and she showed the dressmaker exactly where it would go.”
Even when it was time to discuss hair and makeup, Alana remained focused on the details, insisting that her hair have ringlets like Cinderella.
A wish fit for royalty
After receiving a Royal Party invitation from the Mayor of Wodonga (a city located in Victoria, on the border with New South Wales), Princess Alana responded with delight via one of her royal messengers.
“I will be magnificently royal and give everyone lots of royal waves and smiles,” she said. “I’m going to be beautiful in my new dress.”
On the day of the Royal Party, Princess Alana was surprised with a horse-drawn carriage that arrived at her front door and carried her to the Wodonga Civic Centre.
As fitting any member of royalty, Princess Alana arrived to the sound of royal trumpets, and was welcomed by a heralder, the Mayor, and 50 VIP guests!
I’m going to be beautiful in my new dress.
Alana, wish child
As part of the Royal Party's entertainment, a Royal Gala Performance took place in the Centre's theatrette.
“We had different performances on the stage that went on for an hour,” Andrea said. “A local dance academy performed and we had all sorts of dances from the polka to a highland fling. There was a young lad from Alana’s school who dressed as a magician. He had a rubber chicken and everyone loved him.”
The official proceedings concluded with Princess Alana dancing a waltz. Guests then enjoyed an afternoon tea, with sandwiches and cakes on offer.
A joyful but tired Alana was escorted home in a limousine – the second surprise of the day – and wrapped things up with a family barbecue.
A long road to diagnosis
It wasn’t until the birth of their second child, Melanie, that the alarm bells sounded for parents, Andrea and Paul. Even though she was 20 months younger, Melanie started to reach milestones before her big sister.
Paul remembers gifting Alana a cricket bat for Christmas when she was 7 years old and obsessed with the sport. But for the first time ever, when he would throw the ball to her, she would lose her balance.
“And then within six months she couldn’t walk,” Paul said.
Andrea said Alana started “losing abilities every second day: things she could do, she suddenly couldn’t”.
Alana soon developed speech problems and had difficulty swallowing food. But it wasn’t until age 16 that she was finally diagnosed with the rare genetic disorder, Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome. The condition is characterised by muscle weakness, which can get progressively worse over a lifetime.
Alana didn’t really say much on the day, but you just had to look at her face.
Andrea, Alana's mum
Reflecting on the highlights
Andrea said Alana’s Make-A-Wish experience went beyond her wish day. “The anticipation was incredible,” she said. “It wasn’t just the day, it was the days and weeks leading up to it that were wonderful.”
Some 36 years after the wish, Andrea said the memories are still strong. “You could give me two hours or even two days and I will tell you everything about it,” she said.
Perhaps Andrea’s favourite memory is the all-day smile worn by Alana. “Alana didn’t really say much on the day, but you just had to look at her face,” Andrea said. “The expression on her face said everything."
According to Andrea, the happy mood of everyone involved was another plus. “It was an eye-opening day. I was in awe at what could be achieved in a short space of time by Make-A-Wish and other volunteers.”
Princess Alana passed away one spring day in the year 2000.
Aged almost 19 and weighing just a mere 18 kilos, Alana succumbed to her lifelong condition. She had fallen sick and was taken to the hospital, but her parents thought she would pick up, as she had many times before.
“This time we couldn’t get her weight back. She had no energy left,” Andrea said.
One of Andrea and Paul’s final decisions was what to dress Alana in for her burial. They chose the dress, tiara, and ballet slippers Alana wore the day of her wish.
“We wouldn’t have put her in anything else,” Andrea said. “The dress still fitted so perfectly and even if it hadn’t, I would have asked someone to alter it because that was her wish... When she passed away, I could see her dancing, showing off her dress, and telling everybody, ‘I’m a princess’.”
