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SALT LAKE CITY — Highland High is a large school, but it's a close-knit community. Teens saved their lunch money, held fundraisers and did odd jobs — all to help Sam's wish come true.
Students packed the school gymnasium wearing color-coded T-shirts to represent their grades, singing and dancing, with a little bald princess taking center stage. Seven-year-old Sam Boss bravely battles Ewing's sarcoma, a rare malignant tumor that forms in the bone or soft tissue. She began chemotherapy in February 2015 and finished at the end of November 2015.
"She's doing so well, and she still has her sass," said Heather Boss, Sam's mom.
Her greatest wish is to visit Princess Aurora at Disney world.
It's not every day you see a favorite high school teacher sing the theme to "Lion King" to cheers from the student body or teachers dancing to musical ensembles or students competing for a common goal.
"She doesn't have any other siblings, and now she has a whole school full of them," Heather Boss said.
The students grew attached to Sam quickly.
"We've gotten to meet her a couple of different times already because we had a basketball game for her. She's just the sweetest little thing that anyone's ever met," said senior Annie Connolly.
Sophomore Matthew Parkin said, "Most of these kids are giving up lunch money. It's really gracious. A lot of kids are giving up money they probably need."
They're proving millennials aren't selfish, teachers said, and that they have hearts of gold.
Sitting on her mother's hip, Sam grabbed her mom's face and said, "Don't cry on the news!" Heather Boss answered, "I'm not going to cry on the news. I'll do my best."
As Sam gathered with members of the Make-A-Wish Foundation in the center of the gymnasium surrounded by cheering students and confetti, a student presented her and the foundation a check for $10,900. There's wasn't a dry eye anywhere. Their love for Sam was plain to see.
Sam, sitting on a pink throne and wearing large gold Mickey Mouse ears said she felt, "Really, really, happy." Her blue eyes shined brightly. She added that she, "Really, really, really want to say thanks for everything they've done."
Sam and her mom will go to Disney World in Orlando this May, and they say they cherish every single minute they have together.
Officials at Make-A-Wish said the funds go to Sam and other kids like her to make dreams come true.
