With a flip of a switch, 14-year-old Alex Wozney forgot about his worries and his closest family and friends couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces.

After facing 12 months of aggressive chemotherapy, Alex was thrown a party this past Saturday and all his favorite people were invited. Alex was granted a wish for the occasion and decided he wanted to ride a mechanical bareback horse.

His uncle Luke Wozney rode bareback in rodeos and Alex loves spending time with him.

"That's why I chose this as my wish, because I want to be like Luke," Alex said.

Luke has been there for Alex since his father Gilbert Jr. (Luke's brother) died. Alex said Luke's help was important and he has been a strong male role model for him since his father died at the age of 31. Last Friday, the day before the party, Gilbert Jr. would have celebrated his 37th birthday. The family made a birthday cake to celebrate his life.

Time to ride

Counting down from 3, 2, 1 ... By the look in his face, Alex was surprised by the machine's first move throwing him forward. But he soon regained his composure and waited for Luke to help guide him through a successful ride. When the horse threw him back, he dug in his spurs while holding onto a rope with his right hand, which was protected by a well-used steer-hide bareback riding glove. Alex would throw the other arm over his head; partly for balance and partly for show. 

Half of the crowd cheered wildly while the other half held their breath. Despite a circle of friends and family members spotting him, seeing Alex fall on his head after he's been through so much would have been excessively wicked of providence after so much suffering.

He didn't fall. Nor did any of his friends. They even tried to get Alex's grandfather, Gilbert Sr., on the bucking machine, but he thought better of it and passed. There was pizza, soda and a big cake. Alex downed cans of Ruby Red Squirt and laughed with joy as his friends all took turns on the training machine. For that moment he shelved his sorrows.

A rough childhood

Alex's father died during what most call a grand mal seizure, which causes a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions. It's the type of seizure most people picture when they think about seizures. Alex was in the third grade at the time.

Alex's mother is out of the picture and hasn't been seen here since shortly before Christmas of 2018. In the throes of addiction, she has been in and out of legal trouble since. Family members say Alex had a rough time that first Christmas, but hasn't cried since.

A couple years after his father died, Alex was diagnosed with the rare disorder, Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), after complaining about a persistent pain in his shoulder. The condition is treated like cancer, but is actually considered a cancer-like neoplasm disorder, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

According to the clinic, Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare disorder that occurs when a type of immune system cell called Langerhans cells build up in a child’s body. When these cells accumulate, it can cause tissue damage and tumors to form.

Most cases of LCH affect newborns and children between the ages of 1 and 15 years old and occurs in one to two out of every million newborns each year. It affects about five out of every million children ages 15 and younger.

LCH behaves differently from typical cancers, involving the abnormal growth of white blood cells (histiocytes) that can accumulate and cause damage to organs or bones and often treated by oncologists with chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted gene therapies. All of his treatments have taken place in Salt Lake City.

Alex considers himself lucky to currently be in remission. However, his team of doctors called last week and asked that he come in months earlier than planned. They didn't explain why, Alex said.

"It's scary because they originally said we'd have to go back in summer, but now they're saying we have to go back now," he said.

Alex was in Utah for his final round of chemotherapy in December. He went through 12 months of the treatments after having a cancerous growth surgically removed from his scapula. Unfortunately, his health care team has recently discovered LCH in the skin on his chest and noticed some changes in Alex's shoulder, said Alex's grandmother and Powell resident Kandi Cook. Alex has lived with his grandmother since he was 5 months old.

Caring community members

When Alex was diagnosed with LCH, Powell Middle School nurse Paula Opps applied to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for Alex. A wish-come-true can be a game-changer for a child with a serious illness.

"It inspires us to grant life-changing wishes for children going through so much. It compels us to be creative in exceeding the expectations of every wish kid. It drives us to make our donated resources go as far as possible. Most of all, it's the founding principle of our vision to grant the wish of every eligible child," reads the organization's mission statement.

Representatives were at the party to provide the bucking bronc machine, treats, the cake and an entire case of equipment Alex will need to participate in bareback. When he opened the bag of goodies, he immediately put on a pair of personalized sky blue chaps.

"These are fancy," Alex said. "These are parade chaps."

Cody's Pat Chapman has been a Make-A-Wish volunteer for about 35 years and, despite the bittersweet nature of her work, volunteering has been a huge blessing in her life, she said.

"It's fabulous, you know, because whatever the wish involves, it doesn't involve something medical, and it's just to help the family and to care for and love each other," she said during a quiet moment at the party.

She immediately gave credit to her friend Leslie Keltner, who helped Chapman make Alex's dream come true, yet is not affiliated with the foundation. Keltner knows people, Chapman said.

"We couldn't have done this wish without her," she said. "She brought the equipment."

The 501(c)(3) then contacted Grandma Cook to find out what Alex wished for and to make it a reality. However, due to all of Alex's complications and treatments, combined with his unusual wish, it took nearly two years for the family and Make-A-Wish to organize the party.

In the meantime, Chapman informed Cook about the Jason's Friends Foundation, a charity that was founded to assist Wyoming families whose children suffer from cancer, brain tumors or spinal cord tumors by providing financial assistance, advocacy and encouragement. The foundation provides organized community support that is otherwise unavailable in Wyoming.

Along with advocacy and emotional support, the organization ensures Wyoming families will not lose everything they own simply because they’ve had the misfortune of having a child with cancer.

They provide financial assistance for all Wyoming families in need regardless of income, allowing them to focus on one of the most emotional and critical challenges in life.

"Thank God for them," Cook said. "I don't know what I would have done without them."

Alex's next trip

Cook will take Alex to Salt Lake City on Tuesday and has no idea what to expect. However, she enjoys the time they have together on the trips. Occasionally she'll have Alex bring his fishing gear and stop on Green River for a fun break during the eight-hour drive.

"Last time we were there he caught a 17-inch trout," she said.

They'll also listen to audio books, which always induces long conversations.

Cook also grants Alex one wish each time they head to the hospital. However, Alex currently has three wishes he is considering. Until next Tuesday he'll be busy pairing his list down to a single activity. He loves Dave and Buster's — especially the arcade — and trampoline parks. But he also enjoys an afternoon racing go-carts. It will be a tough decision for him.

"He's a happy kid," said Grandpa Wozney, often Alex's fishing partner. "He's very strong."

Cook is amazed by the resilience of her grandson. And she is proud of him, as if he was her own son. When the family has needs, she turns to her faith.

"I try not to worry because it's all in God's hands," she said. "He has been very good to us."

For more information or to make a donation:

Make-A-Wish: wish.org

Jason's Friends: jasonsfriends.org