Jaymz from Bremerton is named after Metallica rock star, James Hatfield, and rock star treatment is exactly what he received aboard the Kaleetan on Saturday, March 1.

Jaymz, and his mom, Pat, chose a ferry trip as his official “send-off” party for his upcoming Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World in mid-March.

“When Make-A-Wish asked us how he would like to celebrate his upcoming trip to the Magic Kingdom, the first thing Jaymz thought of was chicken nuggets, French fries and a ride on the ferry,” said Pat.



“He loves being out on the water, but it usually means we’re going to the hospital for treatment again.”

Jaymz, 17, was born with a rare genetic chromosome abnormality requiring extended stays at Seattle Children’s for weeks or months at a time.

Ferry trips across Puget Sound to the hospital began when he was just five years old.



This time was different! Now that he’s healthy enough to make the trip to Disney World, Jaymz celebrated with a party on the ferry just for pure fun.
No doctors in sight. 




Indeed, the only prescription he received on board was an extra dose of warm fuzzies, given gladly by family, friends and volunteer wish-granters. Suzanne P. (volunteer for 13 years) and Joanna M. (volunteer for 11 years).







Every 38 minutes Make-A-Wish grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in the United States.  A lot goes into granting wishes. Head over to the Make-A-Wish website to learn how they happen.

And…we love accommodating special occasions on the ferries. For information on hosting celebrations, birthdays, weddings, memorial services and more, drop us a line at wsfinfo@wsdot.wa.gov.