'I wanna be a cowgirl for a lifetime'
MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. -- For a few hours Tuesday, a Bothell girl forgot about her life-threatening illness and lived her life-long wish.
Saddling up to Sugar Pie is more than a horse ride for Alyssa McCarron-Thompson. It's her dream.
"I wanna be a cowgirl for a lifetime, or until I get tired of horses," she said.
The horse ranch in Maple Valley is a world away from the hospitals and headaches that have haunted this 7-year-old since April.
"I had migraines," she said.
Doctors discovered a brain tumor behind Alyssa's eyes. Surgeons could only remove 35 percent of the second grader's tumor.
"If you took it all out, it would have messed up my eyesight," Alyssa said.
Doctors say there's a strong chance it could grow back.
The unknown is what's hardest or not knowing what her prognosis is," said Jennifer Thompson, Alyssa's mother.
"Me and her started crying," Alyssa said. "Didn't know what would happen."
Tuesday, the Make A Wish Foundation swapped her hospital gown for cowboy boots.
Real life cowboys taught Alyssa the ropes, such as how to round up cows, and cut a calf from the herd, and that some ranchers have hearts as gold as her boot tips.
"We're just here to help make her wish," said rancher Duane Herbert.
Alyssa might be a city girl, but she's been hooked on horses since she was 3 when she rode one at the Puyallup Fair. Her mom says she hasn't seen her daughter smile like this in a long time.
"The laughter has come back," Jennifer Thompson said. "The Spunk's back."
Wednesday, Alyssa is scheduled to undergo another MRI, but for today, she's a cowgirl.
Saddling up to Sugar Pie is more than a horse ride for Alyssa McCarron-Thompson. It's her dream.
"I wanna be a cowgirl for a lifetime, or until I get tired of horses," she said.
The horse ranch in Maple Valley is a world away from the hospitals and headaches that have haunted this 7-year-old since April.
"I had migraines," she said.
Doctors discovered a brain tumor behind Alyssa's eyes. Surgeons could only remove 35 percent of the second grader's tumor.
"If you took it all out, it would have messed up my eyesight," Alyssa said.
Doctors say there's a strong chance it could grow back.
The unknown is what's hardest or not knowing what her prognosis is," said Jennifer Thompson, Alyssa's mother.
"Me and her started crying," Alyssa said. "Didn't know what would happen."
Tuesday, the Make A Wish Foundation swapped her hospital gown for cowboy boots.
Real life cowboys taught Alyssa the ropes, such as how to round up cows, and cut a calf from the herd, and that some ranchers have hearts as gold as her boot tips.
"We're just here to help make her wish," said rancher Duane Herbert.
Alyssa might be a city girl, but she's been hooked on horses since she was 3 when she rode one at the Puyallup Fair. Her mom says she hasn't seen her daughter smile like this in a long time.
"The laughter has come back," Jennifer Thompson said. "The Spunk's back."
Wednesday, Alyssa is scheduled to undergo another MRI, but for today, she's a cowgirl.