Pipe dream to pope dream: 12yo Columbus cancer survivor gets wish

To any devout pope admirer, simply laying eyes on Pope Francis is a dream. But for one Columbus boy, his dream was far, far exceeded.

Peter Lombardi, 12, had plans to see the pope in 2015 in Philadelphia during his World Meeting of Families Tour…that is until Lombardi was diagnosed with leukemia the same year.

The Make-A-Wish foundation heard of what happened to Lombardi and stepped in to do what they do best: turn wishes into reality.

When coordinators visited him in the hospital to inquire about his wish, Lombardi simply pointed to the TV displaying a video of the Pope, reports The Patch. 

Two and a half years later, Lombardi—now cancer-free—found himself in a position he couldn’t have imagined in his wildest dreams.

On a pilgrimage with his family to Vatican City, Lombardi was guided to the front of a huge crowd and lifted over a railing to received a kiss from Pope Francis.

But it didn’t stop there.

Pope Francis invited Lombardi to take a 20-minute spin in the popemobile with him.

The pope also gifted Lombardi a crown of purple and yellow balloons which he said was the best part of the entire experience.

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