A six-year-old boy diagnosed with cancer recently enjoyed the time of his life through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. But this wasn’t any ordinary request, as he picked up a hard hat, put on a safety vest and got to work. For many, Oct. 17 was another day on the job, but for Julian Preston, it was a dream come true. “Something that was really big, the shovel would pick it up, then the shovel would move,” Preston said. As a toddler, Preston loved playing with construction toys. The Lethbridge boy got to turn that fascination into the real thing through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “Anything from an excavator to a dump truck to a front-end loader, he just loved playing with them all day,” said Preston’s mother, Megan Preston. At just three years old, Preston was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer. At the time, the family lived in Ottawa and Preston was treated at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario but also travelled to Toronto for a bone marrow treatment at the Hospital for Sick Children. Now living in Lethbridge and in remission, Preston’s wish is also heartening to his family. “We’re very, very hopeful for the future, and he continues to do well,” said Preston’s father, Thomas Preston. Tollestrup Construction was only too happy to help. “I pulled the email up and said, ‘Oh my goodness, yes, absolutely. We do this every day. This is amazing to share something we do every day for such an amazing cause,” said Jonathan Hamilton, Tollestrup’s chief operating officer. The big day also included a trip to a gravel pit. Preston got to experience big rock trucks, graters, crushing facility and what it’s like to load a truck. Tollestrup even let Preston be the boss for the day, outfitted with a hat and key to keep. “I don’t think the energy stopped from the moment Julian arrived till we were shaking hands and he closed up his job responsibilities as the boss,” Hamilton said. It’s a memory the Make-A-Wish Foundation hopes Preston holds on to. “It builds resilience and something for them to look back on and remember as a happy part of their medical journey,” said Mordan Shott, Make-A-Wish Canada wish co-ordinator. For Preston and his family, this wish is only a start. “He said it was because he wanted to be an excavator driver,” his mother said. But for now, he just wants to enjoy being a kid. The family does partner with a foundation that provides funding for cancer research. They are exploring the idea of getting Tollestrup involved.
