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Young Leukemia Patient's Wish To Visit Playground Comes True

WOODLAND (CBS13) – A young boy battling cancer was granted a wish: to have his own park in his very own backyard.

It took more than 30 volunteers, a lot of preparation, and eight hours of manual labor all for this very moment.

"A simple thing. He just wants a slide and a park and this is what we gave him and his face was inspiring," said Holly Bollen, spokesperson and volunteer with Home Depot.

It's a wish of a young lifetime, granted for 5-year-old Raphael Cordova, or as he likes to be called "Darey."

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"A park in my backyard," said Cordova with a big grin on his face.

CBS13's Jennifer McGraw: Is it your dream come true?

Cordova: "Yeah!" he exclaimed.

Sadly, not every day has been filled with smiles. Raphael is battling leukemia, but his parents say he manages to give them strength each and every day.

"He said, 'Mommy don't worry about it, I got this. I'll be brave,'" his father Rafael Cordova said.

Raphael's brave enough to beat cancer, but daily treatments for the next three years mean trips to the park are a no-go.

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"He's been begging me and begging me, 'I can't. I don't want you to get sick,' so he said, 'What if I had a park in my own backyard?' I said, 'That's a good idea,'" said his mother Berenice Cordova.

So his Make-A-Wish friends and Hope Depot volunteers teamed up to turns his backyard into a playground.

"He's still in treatment and he couldn't go to the park with a weakened immune system, so we brought the park to him," said Michele Flynn, Make-A-Wish Senior Director.

It's a park with a slide, swings, and plenty of room for his pals.

"...Such an exciting moment to see him happy and just enjoying it," his parents said.

Raphael is now grateful to have a place to play just any ol' day.

"Thank you!" he said to a yard full of volunteers.

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