Princess of the Bluegrass: Make-a-Wish throws royal ball for Winchester teen

Dreams came true at the Kentucky Castle Thursday night as one Kentucky teen became royalty.

Michele, a 17-year-old from Winchester, wished to be a princess, looking as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside.

The people at Make-a-Wish worked their magic and made that dream a reality, throwing Michele a royal ball at the Kentucky Castle, complete with a red carpet and horse-drawn carriage.

Michele was diagnosed with epilepsy, a seizure disorder and a genetic chromosomal change, but her grandmother Judy Kingsland said that does not keep her from loving life and bringing smiles to others.

“She’s a delightful young lady,” Kingsland said. “She’s had many challenges, but she faces them all with a smile. She can make you laugh and make you giggle and smile just about anything that she does.”

The ball was inspired by Michele, who called the Kentucky Castle “my castle.” Kingsland said she had only expected Michele to spend a night in the castle, but in true fairy godmother style, Make-a-Wish went above and beyond to give her the royal treatment.

Michele got her hair and makeup done, wore a beautiful dress and arrived at the front of the castle in a horse-drawn carriage, greeted by friends and family.

The party continued in the castle with a royal ball. Michele danced to her favorite songs, surrounded by her favorite people.

Faith Hacker, senior development officer for Central and Eastern Kentucky Make-a-Wish, said the organization was “excited” to celebrate with Michele.

“Today is prom, parties, weddings, everything wrapped up into one,” Hacker said.

“This is for her,” Kingsland said. “She loves to be in the spotlight, and she loves attention and to dress up and be pretty, be a princess ... It’s been very wonderful for me just to sit back and watch.”

What Make-a-Wish does

Hacker said each Make-a-Wish branch works with local kids, and the money raised to grant wishes stays in the community.

“Right now we have about 450 kids in Kentucky that are waiting for a wish, and about 150 of those are from right here in central and eastern Kentucky,” she said.

Hacker also said the majority of kids who receive a wish are not terminally ill.

“One of the things that people don’t know about Make-a-Wish is that 80 percent of our kids that receive a wish go on to thrive and survive, so Michele is not a terminal Wish Child,” Hacker said.

During COVID, the organization continued granting wishes, although Hacker said that instead of trips, Make-a-Wish provided local “experiences” like Michele’s and “project-based wishes” like pools and hot tubs.

“We really do bring hope to these kids,” she said. “When everything else is they’re hearing ‘no’ because of their illness or because of things that are happening to them, we’re able to say ‘yes’ and bring them hope and strength.”