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The first Monday of 2026 brought a celebration that 18-year-old Ella Murray will never forget: a parade outside her Centreville home announcing that her wish for a family trip to Italy had been granted.
Make-A-Wish staff members asked the recent high school graduate to look through her front door. Waiting outside were 60 people marching behind a themed tour bus.
“That’s when I saw the parade,” Murray said. “Today is my wish celebration.”
Murray was set to leave Tuesday with her parents and younger siblings for a week in Italy. Asked why she chose the country, she had a simple answer: “Mainly for the food.”
The itinerary includes three cooking classes focused on seafood, gelato and pizza.
After the parade, the celebration continued in the family’s driveway, where Timber Pizza Co. served wood-fired pizza alongside a gelato station.
Murray was born with epidermolysis bullosa, or EB, a rare and painful connective tissue disorder that makes her skin extremely fragile and leaves her prone to wounds.
Her father, Joseph, described her as cognitively sharp and full of life, calling her an example of perseverance and faith.
Murray’s mother, Katie, said the family is deeply grateful to see their daughter reach this milestone and share the experience with her.
“She wasn’t supposed to be here for 18 years, and she is,” Katie said. “I am so in awe that she is here and thriving, and we are able to experience this with her.”