Make-A-Wish Foundation helps Dartmouth student follow in Magnum, P.I.'s footsteps


In the opening credit sequence of the 1980s crime drama “Magnum, P.I.,” Tom Selleck drives a cherry red Ferrari 308 GTS through the vacant roadways of Oahu, Hawaii. It was Quinn Elementary student Letty Nelson’s dream to venture through those sweeping, tropical landscapes depicted in the show, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation is making that happen.
Letty, 6, will embark on the 13-hour flight to Hawaii from Boston on the morning of Dec. 12. On Dec. 11, Letty was led through the Dartmouth Mall to Macy’s where a party was held in her honor. She will be traveling with her mom and dad, Kristen and Joshua, and her 11-year-old brother, Joshua Jr.
“She loves ‘Magnum, P.I.’ She knows it’s on every night at 8 o’clock,” said Letty’s mom Kristen Nelson. “My husband has an uncle who looks like Magnum P.I., so she likes to joke that it’s her uncle on TV.”
About halfway through the opening credits, a helicopter flies above the ocean, and Kristen said her family essentially will be “flying through the opening scene” during the trip. The trip through the air is one of many adventures ahead for the group. While in Hawaii, the Nelsons will also be visiting Sea Life Park Hawaii, horseback riding and taking a trip to Pearl Harbor.
“It’s a great thing for her after everything she’s been through,” said Kristen.
Letty had a baseball-sized Wilms tumor, a rare form of kidney cancer that affects young children. Letty’s left kidney had to be removed last October at Boston Children’s Hospital, and she had chemotherapy treatments from November 2014 to March of this year.
Kristen said that, while things were rough for a while, family members did their best to keep life normal for Letty, including sleepovers at her cousin’s house and skiing. She said a social worker at the Jimmy Fund Clinic suggested the family reach out to Make-A-Wish.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a national non-profit organization that grants wishes to children ages two and a half to 18 who are diagnosed with a life-threatening condition. Children can wish to go somewhere, meet a celebrity, participate in a dream job for a day or receive a gift.
“Our organization raises funds annually so we’re able to support wishes,” said Elise Strom, a Rhode Island-based regional director for Make-A-Wish. “The average cost of a wish today is $8,000.”
Strom said her group tends to bring communities together.
When Letty first arrived at the mall, she was met by a group of citizens representing the community, including Select Board member Kelli Martin Taglianetti, youth advocate Jen Cabral, police officers, mall security, firefighters and Dartmouth’s own bipedal, fire-safety canine, Sparky.
Everyone waved pom-poms and paraded Letty to Macy’s where she was met by employees who cheered and presented her with flowery leis.
Strom said that, across the country, Macy’s helps sponsor the foundation. On Dec. 11, Macy’s held 50 similar wish events across their 800 stores.
“Our store has been open here for 11 years. This is our first time we’ve ever done anything like this,” said Lorinda Simas, store manager at Dartmouth’s Macy’s. “Our associates have participated in fundraising for the last 11 years, and today we get to see it come to fruition.”
Letti was led to the back of the store, where the training room had been transformed into a beachy, Hawaii-themed party, complete with pineapple and ham pizza. As Letty entered the room, a Macy’s employee cued the “Magnum, P.I.” theme song.
As to why a six-year-old girl is drawn to a show that first aired nearly 30 years before her birth, Letty explained that it partially has to do with her affinity for Tom Selleck’s wardrobe.
“He wears funny clothes and funny hats,” said Letty. “It’s good!”