SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Volunteers with the Wish for Our Veterans Texas chapters granted several wishes to veterans in need during the second annual Wish Patrol.
The organizations granted at least six wishes to different families before hundreds of volunteers packed into six buses to deliver more wishes to unsuspecting families.
One of those families was of Staff Sgt. Jimarie Candelario, who suffers from B-cell lymphoma. She was diagnosed in August.
“I have been very limited,” said Candelario. "It just came out of the blue. It happened and I've been doing treatments. Very aggressive treatments of chemotherapy and that is what I have been doing."
She said she was very surprised when the big surprise happened.
"I got a phone call from my case manager and she said, 'Are you at the house?' and I'm like, 'Yeah I'm at the house' and then all of a sudden they were like a bunch of people were here and I was like, 'Wait, what do you mean?” said Candelario. “So it was very surprising. I started crying right away. It really touched me.”
Volunteers not only sung carols for her and her family, but they delivered a tree and several presents.
“It filled me with the Christmas spirit and everything. It was really beautiful,” Candelario said. “"It means the world. I have had a rough year and they made the year for me."
After the surprise and after receiving tons of love and support, Candelario said she is beyond grateful and wants this kind gesture to give hope to her fellow veteran brothers and sisters.
"There is help out there,” Candelario said. “There is people who do care and help and give and take care of you. You are not alone. No matter what you are going through you are not alone."