SPOKANE, Wash. — An 11-year-old Spokane boy got to witness his hero, Spokane Astronaut Anne McClain, blast off into space from the Kennedy Space Center on March 14.
Matthew Manley has Congenital Muscular Dystrophy, and when he was younger, he had to wear a mask to help with his breathing.
When he was 2 years old, his parents likened the mask to one that an astronaut would wear in space, and that’s when his passion for all things interstellar began.
He first met McClain in person when he was 6 years old. He was featured on 4 News Now for that special visit.
The Wishing Star Foundation found out about Manley’s wish to see a SpaceX launch in person, and flew him and his family out to Florida to see the rocket launch that was aimed at retrieving Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been at the International Space Station (ISS) for 286 days.
At the Kennedy Space Center, Manley and his family watched SpaceX Crew-10 prepare for the mission, and successfully lift off after a mechanical delay forced the rescheduled launch.
“I thought I was dreaming,” said Matthew. “Then I knew it was real when I saw the flame—it was so bright!”
After the rocket launch, the family experienced Disneyworld in Kissimmee, Florida.
“We are incredibly honored to make Matthew’s wish come true,” said Katie Prugh, Executive Director at Wishing Star Foundation. “Thanks to the generosity of our partners, we were able to create an unforgettable experience for him and his family.”
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