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Whit Johnson ReportingThe Electric Light parade brought more than just visual entertainment to the people of Ogden tonight. It made a very sick young girl feel extra special.
The parade signals the official countdown to Christmas in Ogden. The same people who made the parade happen worked with the Make a Wish Foundation and other businesses to make an unforgettable evening for one special child.
For thousands of people in Ogden, it's just another holiday parade. But for seven year old Amy Harward, it's her time to shine.
Stefani Harward/Amy's mom: "A wonderful lady went ahead and did her hair and her nails and a pedicure, and gave her all sorts of perfume and makeup. She felt so pretty."
Amy has a rare liver disorder called glycogen storage disease. It's so rare, she and her brother are the only two cases known in Utah.
Amy Harward: "It makes me really sick sometimes."
There is no cure for the disease and doctors say Amy won't live past her 20's. It destroys her kidneys, her heart, liver and muscles. But perhaps the worst part:
Amy: "Sometimes my friends call me bad names."
"How does that make you feel?"
Amy: "Really sad."
But tonight she is royalty, the featured guest in Ogden's light parade.
Carolyn Bachman/Parade organizer: "When we say parade royalty, we mean royalty. They get the royal treatment."
Amy was given two shopping sprees, a cowgirl hat, custom chaps, and something her disease won't normally allow her to do.. a ride on a horse.
Amy: "It's really fun to come here today."
Because of her disease, Amy has spent two Christmases in the hospital. We asked her what she wanted Santa to bring her this year. She said one thing-- to be with her family at home.
