12-Year-Old Boy Wishes to Be a Paleontologist for the Day

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Aug. 7, 2013) - On Thursday, August 8, 2013, wish child Damien, 12, T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, will have his wish to be a paleontologist for the day granted, with the help of Dr. Hans Larsson, Dr. David Evans, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Make-A-Wish Canada.

Damien's number one interest is dinosaurs. Since he was a little boy, Damien loved reading books and watching movies about dinosaurs. After watching a documentary by Dr. Larsson, from the Redpath Museum at McGill University in Montreal, Damien became a huge fan of his work.

"Damien's fascination began with dragons at the age of two, which transformed into dinosaurs by the age of five," said wish mom, Christine. "He is so excited for his wish to be a palaeontologist to come true and be able to work side-by-side with Dr. Larsson and Dr. Evans."

A wish come true improves a child's state of mind, replacing fear with happiness and helping each to feel like a normal kid again. Through their wish experiences, wish kids feel less isolated and more empowered to take back control of their lives.

Damien and his parents will be welcomed to the ROM Thursday morning by Dr. Larsson and Dr. Evans for a behind-the-scenes tour of both the Temerty Gallery of Dinosaurs and the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity. These gallery visits are followed by an afternoon in the lab, preparing new dinosaur material.

Media are invited to join us for Damien's Wish

About the Royal Ontario Museum

The Royal Ontario Museum is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Opened in 1914, Canada's largest museum of natural history and world cultures has more than six million objects in its collections and galleries showcasing art, archaeology and natural science. The ROM is the largest field research institution in the country, and a world leader in research areas from biodiversity, palaeontology, and earth sciences to archaeology, ethnology and visual culture - originating new information towards a global understanding of historical and modern change in culture and environment.

About Make-A-Wish^® Canada

Make-A-Wish Canada is a dynamic wish-granting organization that brings hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Along with the national office, eight (8) regional chapters grant magical wishes to children in need from coast-to-coast. This year, Make-A-Wish Canada is celebrating its 30^th anniversary and the granting of more than 5,000 wishes. Make-A-Wish Canada is an affiliate of Make-A-Wish^® International. Make-A-Wish is the largest wish-granting organization in the world, making dreams and wishes come true for more than 310,000 children since 1980. For more information please visit www.makeawish.ca.