Nikko was adopted from Vietnam when he was 17 months old. He already had a troubled health history, having acquired pneumonia three months earlier. He required a tracheotomy, having only a millimetre of airway. His first three months in Canada were spent in hospital and for the following two years Nikko’s life was a succession of laser surgeries. The scar tissue from the ill-fitting trach had all but blocked his windpipe. Little by little, surgeries were performed to open his throat passage and remove the trach, to the point where Nikko could breathe. Despite living with the ongoing effects of chronic lung disease, Nikko’s Dream was celebratory, recognizing new beginnings. His Dream to play in the ocean and on the sand came true when he traveled to Maui with his family in April 2015.
