Susan, age 6

When asked to wish for the one thing that she wanted most, 6-year-old Susan wished to go on a shopping spree to purchase Hannah Montana clothes, jeans and shoes, as well as a computer. But knowing how much Susan loved her favorite artist and singer, the Make-A-Wish team sought to enhance her shopping experience with a little twist. Little did Susan know that she wouldn’t be shopping as herself; instead, she would make an appearance at her choice of stores as Hannah Montana and spend the entire day living the life of a superstar!

Make-A-Wish volunteer Kandice designed and created a custom-made Hannah outfit, complete with a wig just like the teen idol wears. On the day of Susan’s shopping spree, Make-A-Wish volunteers arrived to meet a shy Susan sitting next to her mother and sister. As soon as the volunteers showed her the costume and told her she’d be Hannah Montana for the day, she hurried to her room and began transformation. The costume received some last-minute touches including electric guitar earrings, bracelets, star-shaped glasses, a headset and a Hannah Montana guitar. When Susan was completely dressed, she stopped being Susan and became Hannah for the remainder of the day. As everyone left the family’s apartment complex, people opened their doors and waved at Susan. Susan flashed an ear-to-ear smile and hurried to the gate. Much to her surprise, she was met by a limousine, and the driver quickly asked for Hannah’s autograph.

The first stop of the day was Wal-Mart, where Susie was met by a huge balloon arch and her very own autograph table decorated with Hannah Montana balloons. After opening some gifts from Wal-Mart and signing some autographs, Susan was ready to shop. Her mission: to “shop for everything Hannah Montana.” She purchased numerous Miley Cyrus items and Hannah Montana merchandise. Of course, the presence of a celebrity didn’t go unnoticed by customers. When people asked who she was, Susan proudly responded, “Hannah."

Next up was a visit to Best Buy, where Susan wanted to purchase a laptop and some video games. Not a minute after she and her family got off the car, Susan was bombarded by fans and photographers. Even before she got to the store’s front doors she had signed what in her words were “like 18 autographs.” The doors opened and Susie was excited to see a red carpet. As she walked across it, she was stopped again for pictures and autographs. She was a star! Susie began her quest to find the right computer, Nintendo DS system and games, but she was stopped many times by screaming fans, young and old. She was quite the sensation! After greeting too many fans to count, Susie whispered to her wish granter Brighitte that she was tired of signing autographs, so Brighitte grabbed her hand and the two began running toward a door. Of course, that door opened to another surprise: Inside there was a cake, tons of Hannah Montana decorations and presents for Susan! She enjoyed her mini-party surrounded by her family and the Best Buy team that made it all possible.

To finish off Susan’s wish experience, everyone headed over to Eden Garden Bar and Grill in Pasadena for dinner. As soon as Susie and her family walked into the restaurant, all of the guests and restaurant staff members clapped and cheered. The service at dinner was excellent and everyone in the restaurant made Susie feel like a VIP. She sat at the head of the table surrounded by her friends and family. It was a perfect time for Susie to rest after all that shopping and enjoy some chicken and dessert.

The star treatment she received throughout the entire day meant everything to Susie. She was truly able to experience the life of a rock star. She joked that the wish team should unload all the gifts from the limo for her since she was, after all, Hannah Montana. After all her merchandise was in her home, Susan and her sister began to open all of the Hannah Montana items she had received including CDs, a karaoke machine and an acoustic guitar. Susan was exhausted and speechless, but she couldn’t stop smiling. She took the wig off when she got home, but she still felt like a super star.