Bay Area Make-A-Wish kid called by 'the force' to defeat cancer, meet favorite 'Star Wars' hero

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Disney's "Week of Wishes" wraps up Friday, highlighting the mission of Make-A-Wish to grant life-changing wishes for children battling critical illnesses -- including one Bay Area girl whose journey has inspired many.

Spend an afternoon with 9-year-old Graysen Hooper, and it's clear that the force is strong with this one. Seeing her now, you'd never know she waged a courageous battle against cancer.

"When I was almost 2, I got diagnosed with cancer, and I don't remember much," Graysen said.

But her parents, Heather and Patrick, remember it all too well.

"Graysen was diagnosed at 21 months with B-Cell ALL leukemia. It started with, then became 2.5 years of treatment, and she finished just a few days after she turned 4, and that was five years ago. So, we just recently celebrated her being officially cancer-free," Heather Hooper said.

"It's not a fun thing to revisit, but thankfully we're here celebrating where we are," Patrick Hooper said.

Graysen's story is one of strength, and resilience -- traits she shares with her favorite "Star Wars" character, Ahsoka Tano.

As Ahsoka once said, "There is nothing easy about being a jedi."

And there's certainly nothing easy about fighting cancer.

During long days of treatment at Santa Clara Kaiser, watching the films with her father became a source of comfort and inspiration.

"She was a warrior. She was awesome," Patrick said.

That inspiration led to a wish: to travel to a galaxy far, far away. Through Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area, that dream became reality with a trip to Disney World.

"Look at all these pins! Did you put your Disney trip on here? Let's see... I see Orlando. That was your MAW trip," said ABC7 Eyewitness News Anchor Ama Daetz while visiting the Hoopers' home.

At Disney World, Graysen met her favorite and fellow warrior face-to-face.

"It was fun meeting her, and she was my favorite character. It was just like cool to actually meet my fave character," Graysen said.

"I was in my Ahsoka costume, so that made it more cooler," she added.

The moment left a lasting impact, not just on Graysen, but on her family.

"Oh gosh, yes. Absolutely. There was a lot of happy tears," Heather said when asked if they cried during the meeting.

Those memories, her parents said, were made possible through the work of Make-A-Wish volunteers and supporters who help bring moments of joy to children facing serious illness.

"I feel grateful for all that, and I feel happy that they did that for me," Graysen said.

As Disney's "Week of Wishes" comes to a close, her story serves as a reminder of the power of a single wish -- and the strength of the children who inspire them.