Make A Wish builds splash pad for boy in his backyard

A young Gilbert boy with a life-threatening condition got a very special gift.

He loves the water, but he cannot swim, so Make A Wish and a local company teamed up to help him get in the water.

"I don't know that he's coming to come out of there, he's so happy," said Lisa Shanahan.

11-year-old Lucas Dassi was born with several serious health issues.

"He has chronic lung disease, and asthma, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and some brain damage which makes him delayed," she said.

But this past weekend he got a very special gift. Lucas loves the water, but he cannot go in the pool, so his mom reached out to Make A Wish for a solution.

"I wanted it to be something he could do more on a day to day basis, I knew water was his thing, but the pool is too overwhelming, and he doesn't know how to swim," said Shanahan.

The charity organization set out to build a splash pad in Lucas' own backyard.

"The splash pad just became something we knew that we could grant and luckily with Shasta Pools we were able to make it happen," said Hollie Costello with Make A Wish, Arizona.

"He loves being in the water and there's no risk of him aspirating, drowning, or falling over because he's so stable now," said Shanahan.

The family says it's much more than a play area, and something they plan to use for a long time.

If you would like to donate to Make A Wish Arizona visit them online at http://arizona.wish.org/