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“I wish ride a train and be a train conductor”
Lorenzo, age 4
Despite his love of trains, 4-year-old Lorenzo had never ridden on one. A devotee of “Thomas the Train” since the age of two, Lorenzo lives and breathes trains: he loves train stories, train shows, even train music!
Once referred to Make-A-Wish while awaiting surgery related to his medical condition, Marfan’s syndrome, Lorenzo easily described his most heartfelt wish: to take an overnight train journey and be a conductor (if just for a day).
The big day came on a December morning, when Lorenzo, his mom and grandparents visited the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo for a VIP tour. Outfitted in the proper train attire – blue and white striped overalls and cap – Lorenzo began his special day with a train ride and a lesson on how to drive a train and change gears. Sitting with the engineer, Lorenzo pulled the whistle. “He was all excited,” his mom said, “the whole time his face just lit up!” Lorenzo also collected tickets from the passengers.
Later that day, Lorenzo and his family boarded another special train, the “North Pole Limited,” joining Santa and Mrs. Claus and the elves for a short holiday ride. Santa even knew what Lorenzo wanted for Christmas, and surprised him with an early gift of a “Thomas the Train” DVD. “It was wonderful to see him laugh,” said Lorenzo’s grandmother.
Lorenzo’s wish continued the next day, when he and his family boarded an Amtrak train in Los Angeles. He enjoyed his deluxe sleeper car accommodations en route to Arizona, where yet another train awaited him for a tour of the Grand Canyon. Excited to see snow on the ground, Lorenzo and his family enjoyed the Canyon’s winter beauty before returning to Los Angeles.
On the trip back, a group of robbers appeared on the train and were looking for “Scoundrel Lorenzo.” The Sheriff who was in pursuit asked Lorenzo if he was “with the good guys or the bad guys?” Answering “the good guys,” Lorenzo was presented with a deputy’s star and badge. All in a day’s work for a real train man.