Tyler

The Kids Wish Network and Home Depot worked together to provide a gift to a Tyler child suffering from a heart disease called cardiomyopathy.Kids Wish Network found 6-year-old Conner Wall when the organization was attempting to raise money for its program.

Kids Wish Network found 6-year-old Conner Wall when the organization was attempting to raise money for its program.

"They called my mom looking for a donation and she just said 'Well my grandson's sick,'" said Lindsey Wall, Conner's mother. "So they came in here and said to put in an application."

According to the Kids Wish Web site, any child between the ages of 3 and 18 with a life-threatening disease or condition can qualify for its program, as long as they have not received a wish from a similar program.

Conner has been sick since he was 2 weeks old and was diagnosed with the disease at 16 months. Since diagnosis, he has been in and out of hospitals on a regular basis and is on multiple daily medications.

Although his medication helps, it is not a permanent solution. Conner and his family are currently on a waiting list for a heart transplant, which would hopefully take care of the problem.

According to the American Heart Association, "cardiomyopathy is a serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn't work as well as it should."

The type of the disease Conner has causes him to tire quickly so he has to miss certain childhood activities such as riding a bike, but Ms. Wall said he still loves to be outdoors and enjoys exploring. Although he is sick, Conner is still a normal six-year-old child. His favorite TV shows are "iCarly" and "Drake and Josh" on Nickelodeon. His favorite foods are rice with soy sauce and shrimp. He likes baseball and pirates, he plays T-Ball, he wants to be a police officer when he grows up, and he enjoys spraying photographers with water guns.

When asked what he wanted for his gift he chose what many children his age would: a play set.

Home Depot employees showed up at the house Monday at 7:30 a.m. with a cake and toys to begin putting the set together.

Many hours and a few water gun fights later, the volunteer crew was finished and Conner experienced his new backyard addition for the first time.

The play set includes a slide, a sandbox, a rock climbing wall, three swings, a rope ladder and a tree house equipped with telescope and treasure map.

"I like all of it," he said.

Connor Wall, 6, hangs from his new playground equipment Monday June 1, 2009 in his backyard in Tyler, TX. The Kid Wish network and Team Depot donated time and equipment to the Wall family after Connor was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.
(Staff Photo By Mark Roberts)