(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Tim Wright, center, a seventh-grader at Fort Herriman Middle School is awarded a flight jacket and flight suit on Thursday at a school assembly by Utah Air National Guard's Lt. Col. Lisa Berente, left, and Col. Sam Ramsay. He was granted his wish to fly in a high-speed military jet by the Make-A-Wish Foundation with help from the Utah Air National Guard 151st Refueling Wing. Tim has Ewing sarcoma.

After cancer takes part of his leg, Herriman boy gets chance to soar

Herriman » Student’s wish to fly a jet will come true in January.

By Rosemary Winters

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Dec 22 2011 04:19 pm • Last Updated Mar 03 2012 11:38 pm

Herriman • Tim Wright, a 12-year-old cancer survivor, learned to walk again this year after doctors removed his knee, replaced it with his ankle and fitted him with a prosthetic calf and foot.

In January, he will learn something he’s dreamed of doing instead of chemotherapy, surgeries and physical rehab: fly a high-speed jet.

To the cheers of his classmates at Fort Herriman Middle School, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah revealed Thursday that Tim’s wish has been granted. He will get a day of flight instruction and a 45-minute ride in the cockpit of an L-39 Albatross.

There will be another pilot taking the lead beside him, but the seventh-grader will get a chance to take over the controls in flight.

Tim uttered a one-word response — "awesome" — after Col. Samuel Ramsay of the Utah Air National Guard shared the news during a school assembly. The flight will take place at the commercially run Hollywood Top Gun in Los Angeles, but Ramsay was on hand Friday to give Wright his own flight suit and flight jacket.

"Everybody has their own challenges in life, and Tim has some unique challenges," Ramsay said during the assembly. "He’s faced those challenges with heroic courage. Today, we’d like to show our appreciation to you for being an inspiration to all of us."

Last year, Make-A-Wish granted the wishes of 151 children with life-threatening medical conditions. Tim has Ewing sarcoma, a bone cancer which is most common in children and which ravaged the bone and soft tissue of his knee, but now is in remission. In May, he had a surgery known as rotationplasty, during which much of his left leg was amputated and reconfigured, to allow him to walk more easily with a prosthesis.

"It’s been a long road, so for him to do something that is nice and fun is really cool," said dad Cory Wright, who will be watching from the ground as his son soars in the jet. "I’m going to be very jealous. I want to fly the jet, too."

After the assembly, Tim said he was "very surprised" when Ramsay asked him to come on stage. He was expecting the assembly to focus on class achievements in raising money for a Sub-for-Santa program.

"It’s a good Christmas present," Tim said. "I just think flying sounds cool and interesting, just looking out and seeing everything fly by outside."

Tim’s theater teacher, Sharon Jenks, said after the announcement that she is "proud" of her student.

"He’s never not smiled when he came into my room," she said on stage. "I’ve never seen a kid go through that kind of trauma and be as upbeat and positive as he is."

rwinters@sltrib.com

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