WCCO Helps Grant 11-Year-Old Jack's Make-A-Wish

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – WCCO has long been involved with the Make-A-Wish foundation.

As part of Accomplish Minnesota, we've held Wishes in Flight phone drives, where viewers have donated miles to help make kids' dreams come true, and we've helped facilitate others, like when we built a treehouse on the 'CCO rooftop.

WCCO had the chance to help make a wish come true on Monday morning as 11-year-old Jack Jiang fulfilled his dream of becoming a newscaster. Jack, is an 11-year-old from Beijing, China.

With the help of Make-A-Wish Minnesota, he spent the morning at WCCO and appeared on the Mid-Morning show. During the hour-long newscast, he was interviewed three times and had the chance to meet Jamie Watson of the Minnesota United.

Jamie brought along souvenirs after hearing Jack was a big soccer fan.

After the Mid-Morning show, Jack recorded his own newscast and a promotional shoot with WCCO's Matt Brickman. From there, he attended the morning planning meeting and even learned how to work a camera.

"This place is amazing and very cool and there's a lot of camera and lights," Jack Jiang said.

Jack and his family are in Minnesota for treatment at the Mayo Clinic. He was diagnosed with a spinal tumor in February and it progressed quickly.

"We wanted to have more hope to cure him completely," Ben Jiang, Jack's dad, said.

The Jiangs have spent three months in Minnesota, but will return home next week. They'll leave with the memory that this trip wasn't just about the medicine.

"I think it will be very treasured. This was the most wonderful memory we have and experience for my son and wife," Ben said.

Jack and his family were also treated to lunch from McDonald's, Jack's favorite restaurant.