CAPE GIRL GETS A WISH; CHILD GETS $800 SHOPPING SPREE FROM MAKE-A-WISH

The first three toys Jalisa Durham picked out were a Warrior Princess battery-powered vehicle, Powerpuff Girls cartoon superheroes that save the world -- and a Super Gymnast Barbie doll.

Those would be natural choices for an 8-year-old girl who has fought cystic fibrosis most of her life and now needs a double lung transplant.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses, gave the Cape Girardeau girl an $800 shopping spree Friday -- $100 for each year of her life. Toys R Us was the first place she wanted to go.

A long white limousine delivered Jalisa, her 9-year-old sister Machela and their grandmother, Regina Jones, to the store. Also along were Vicky Hoernig and Jannet Clifton, Make-A-Wish Foundation volunteers from Perryville.

The volunteers have been involved in giving sick children trips, horses, computers and dogs before but this was their first shopping spree.

The Toys R Us staff blew up balloons and made a welcoming sign for Jalisa. Sandie Suhre, one of the managers, guided the shopping entourage down the aisles. In the group was Jason Standley, an employee who remained after work to help in case any of the toys Jalisa chose required assembly.

As Jalisa was test-driving her vehicle, a purple-haired clown named Susannah popped into the aisle calling her name. Donna Sternicle volunteered to make an appearance as Susannah when she heard about the Make-A-Wish plans for Jalisa.

The shopping spree wasn't Jalisa's first choice actually. She wanted to go to Disney World, but her physician advised against it. "The doctor said he really wished she wouldn't go because of the altitude of the plane flight and the heat," her grandmother said.

Jalisa attended Jefferson School last year and will be a Blanchard student in the fall. Jones said her granddaughter is on a waiting list for the lung transplants, and a list of living donors also is being set up. A Jalisa Durham Special Trust has been established for her at Mercantile Bank.

After leaving Toys R Us, Jalisa planned more shopping at Westfield Shopping Town and perhaps Kmart if she had any money left.