Make-A-Wish: 12-year-old boy gifted complete Apple set up

BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Meet Matthew. A 12-year-old boy who is filled with joy -- even after facing so many battles at such a young age.

At only 3 days old, he had his first surgery for glaucoma. As a toddler, he was diagnosed with type 1 neurofibromatosis. His mother says getting these conditions is as rare as winning the lottery.

Because of this, his younger years are a blur.

“We can’t remember much because there were so many surgeries, we would have a surgery and have to figure out if it worked or not," Matthew's mom, Pari, says.

Matthew's family wanted him to have something special so they reached out to Make-A-Wish Idaho. And that's when the magic happened.

“It made me feel happy like a rainbow and plants, I was super happy," he said.

Make-A-Wish granted his wish, which was a big excitement for the family -- especially for Matthew.

The boy asked for a complete Apple set up -- the works. An Apple pro, Apple Watch, Air Pod pros, and a new iPhone.

Other than being a true warrior, Matthew also has a big heart. CBS asked what his favorite device was from the gift -- but he didn't have one.

"I don’t have a favorite device, my favorite part is the people donating and the thought of them working a 9-5 job or so forth of their time, spending their time working donating it so I can get my stuff," he said.

It's no secret Matthew loves technology based on his wish, but for him, it's not just to play video games like a typical 12-year-old. It gives him the tools he needs to learn."

"Because you know with technology levels the playing field for our child so he can access homework and assignments at school he needs," his mom says. "We are in this process as parents learning about everything he needs, as parents we don’t understand everything our child is losing, his eye sight needs, and it was wonderful. It was a wish as parents we couldn’t grant.”

The annual Wishes-in-Flight telethon is all day on Wednesday. CBS2 is hoping to raise money and airline miles for Make-A-Wish Idaho. This will allow the non-profit to continue reaching out to sick children and their families. The telethon begins at 6 a.m. and goes through 10:30 p.m. We hope you'll join us throughout the day on Wednesday to be inspired by people in our community who are making a difference in the lives of children facing critical illnesses.