A young girl with a big fighting spirit made her wish come true when she experienced a VIP tour of Zoo Miami. Seven-year-old Gemma Moschetto, who has been battling leukemia for two years at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, was able to get up close and personal with some of her favorite animals as part of her wish being granted by Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. Guided by Zoo Miami’s Goodwill Ambassador Ron Magil, Gemma was seen feeding and interacting with a Galapagos tortoise, monkeys and a giraffe. Her parents said Gemma’s wish came from her love for animals. “We based it on Gemma’s love and adoration for animals and here we are at the Miami Zoo today,” said Julie Torsiello, Gemma’s mother. Gemma rode a golf cart around the zoo, including to parts that are inaccessible to the general public, and watched as Magil interacted with monkeys and fed them. “To connect her with these animals, to see her smile, to see her engaged, you can’t put a price tag on that,” said Magil. It’s a day she will always remember. “They’re just really cool and they have just different things like different abilities. Like some can fly and some can walk and all of that stuff,” said Moschetto. The organization said Gemma’s wish is the 15,000 wish granted by the Southern Florida chapter in its history. “Fifteen thousand tuition. We’ve impacted 15,000 lives. The lives of children and their families. You see, Gemma has a huge family here today. They will be impacted forever by this one true wish,” said Richard Kelly with Make-A-Wish Southern Florida The nonprofit has been granting wishes for critically ill children in South Florida since 1983, making it one of only four chapters, and the only one of its size, to have granted that many wishes. Gemma’s family said these once-in-a-lifetime experiences are priceless and will forever be a cherished memory in her journey of life. “With her able to be a child again and carefree and happy and stress-free and just enjoying and loving life like every child deserves to,” said Torsiello. Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.