Wish comes true for Austintown youth sponsored by Kids Wish Network

Tyler Wibly has been wrestling with a life-threatening condition all his life. But for one day, he was able to forget about his struggles and see one of his wishes come true.

Thanks to Kids Wish Network and some local sponsors, the Austintown resident had the opportunity to meet his favorite WWE wrestler, John Cena.

Not only did he get to meet Cena and attend a wrestling match at the Mellon Arena, but Wibly and his family got to experience some other fun activities. They visited the Sen. John Heinz History Center, Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum and got a Just Ducky tour.

Some special dinners were set up for Wibly and his family and they were also given tickets to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.

“John Cena is his favorite wrestler and wrestling is the main thing he watches. He really enjoys it and wanted to meet him,” his mother, Jennifer said. She said that she has become a fan herself thanks to watching the show with Tyler. “John Cena wins most of his matches and is one of the good guys,” she said.

Wibly, 11, deals with difficult challenges on a daily basis. Having been diagnosed with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy – an illness that affects the entire body – at just 6 months of age, simple tasks have become impossible for him.

He relies on a wheelchair or walker for mobility, as he is unable to walk on his own. To date, he has undergone 11 surgeries to attempt to get him walking, but they have failed to correct the issue.

Kids Wish Network, a national charity dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories and improving the quality of life for children, has been in operation for over 13 years.

With their various programs, Kids Wish Network has touched the lives of over 73,000 children across the country this year alone.

Wibly was referred to Kids Wish Network by a family friend whose child also had a wish granted by the organization. The process took about 8 months but when it came time for him to pick his wish, his Mom said the choice was simple.

With his wish confirmed, Kids Wish Network got to work in laying out the plans for the wish. With the help of some local Austintown sponsors, Kids Wish Network arranged the meeting with Cena.

Prior to leaving for the event, Jennifer said they started a John Cena countdown calendar and marked off each day before the wish.

“He knew the day was coming and was just absolutely excited. That’s all he talked about every day,” she said.

Jennifer said upon meeting Cena, Tyler was a bit star struck.

“When Tyler first saw him he was speechless and a bit stunned,” she said. “He was definitely on cloud nine.”