Accomplish MN: Make-A-Wish Recipient Noah Heads To Atlantis

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – All day Wednesday, WCCO will be sharing the stories of Minnesota kids that Make-A-Wish Minnesota helps. WCCO is trying to raise 20 million airline miles for these kids, to help their wish come true. With the help of our viewers we can send kids like Noah on the trip of a lifetime.

Noah Ritter, a 9-year-old from Eagan, has been sick since the day he was born.

"He has had four surgeries to try and maintain the kidneys that he had," Noah's mom, Kristin Ritter, said.

She's using the past tense, because Noah's fifth surgery was to remove both of his kidneys and implant one from his father.

"The fact that I was a match, it was an easy decision to make," Glen Ritter, Noah's dad, said.

Glen and Noah now have to share a set of kidneys between them. And while Glen didn't hesitate, his wife and son were nervous.

"It was probably a couple of weeks before the surgery," Kristin said. "And [Noah] went up to Glen and he hugged him and said, 'I'm just worried about you, Dad.'"

Thankfully, the surgeries were a success. Because of the ages of the patients, the surgeries performed in different hospitals. Even still, Glen and Noah figured out a way to stay close.

"Noah was laying in his bed, asleep. Glen was on the screen next to the bed," Kristin said. "They were both with their head back, sleeping. And they looked like little clones of each other."

Back home, Noah turned his attention to a wish he choose while watching a TV commercial with his sister.

"I asked him 'Wait, do want to go to Atlantis?' and he said 'Yes!'" Noah's sister, Sophie, said. "And we started looking it up and we found out that there were dolphins there, and he started to get really excited."

After nearly decade of struggle, the family has reason to celebrate.

"We can not focus on him being sick anymore, we can focus on him being well and that he can grow like any other child," Kristin said.

Make-A-Wish Minnesota needs 75 million miles a year to grant wishes of local kids. To chip away at that total, you can donate your miles here.