Youth gets his wish to attend cheerleading championships

The send-off party fit the wish.

On April 16, UnitedHealthcare, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada and cheerleaders from Cimarron-Memorial High School celebrated North Las Vegas resident Johnathan Butler, 15, and his wish to attend the International Cheer Union World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Fla. last week.

The Shadow Ridge High School freshman is in remission after a difficult battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Johnathan, who cheers with Vegas Cheer Authority, was diagnosed in August and sidelined from the sport during treatment.

Sort of.

"He would tumble on his own secretly," said his dad, Allan Butler. "I knew, but (his mom) would have been upset."

The family, including his mother Kelly and sister Alyce, was gifted Johnathan's wish courtesy of UnitedHealthcare and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada via the organization's Adopt-a-Wish program, said executive director Caleen Norrod Johnson.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada has granted the wishes of more than 1,300 children with life-threatening medical conditions since 1996. Wishes fall under four categories: "To Meet" a celebrity or public figure; "To Be" a job or role for a day; "To Have," say, a puppy or computer; and "To Go," such as Johnathan's desire to attend the championships.

"We're just so thrilled to see the joy on Johnathan's face and the faces of his family," Johnson said. "It's a wonderful opportunity to take a moment out of the challenges and stresses of being ill."

Johnathan, who has been a cheerleader for two years, selected his wish because "the best of the best will be there," he said.

"I want to be amazed," he said.

His parents "saw it coming," he said, in jest.

"My family is at the cheerleading gym seven days a week," he said.

UnitedHealthcare hosted his send-off party at its 2716 N. Tenaya Way offices and served Johnathan's favorite food, spaghetti, for lunch.

"Maybe I'll see you on ESPN during the big event," said Donald Giancursio, CEO for UnitedHealthcare's Nevada market.

Cimarron-Memorial High School cheerleaders greeted Johnathan with pompoms, tumbling and cheers. The young women decorated banners that read "Let's Go, Johnathan" and "Enjoy your trip!"

"I was so excited," Johnathan said. "Words can't describe it, I guess."

Emotions ran high for his mom, too.

"It's one spectrum to another," Kelly Butler said. "He had just gotten his tumbling down, and he got sick."

She referred to the times when her son stayed at the hospital for weeks at a time for his four rounds of chemotherapy. Johnathan lost weight, all his hair - even his eyelashes and eyebrows - and energy, she said.

"For a kid who could eat an entire box of doughnuts ... ." Allan Butler said.

The family rallied, including his two older brothers, also athletes, whose baseball coach would let them visit Johnathan one at a time during treatment.

Kelly said Johnathan's endurance on a cheerleading mat helped him during treatment.

"He just pushes himself," she said.

The International Cheer Union World Cheerleading Championships took place last week.

"Hopefully this will be something to help him through," Giancursio said. "We sent him off in style."

For more information, visit snv.wish.org.

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.