A 9-year-old New Jersey boy with cancer got the surprise of a lifetime thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Learning Experience Center in Manalapan.

Leam Snoeu was diagnosed with single cell sarcoma just a week after his fifth birthday. Despite all the stress, surgery, needles and hospital stays that come with having a critical illness, Leam remained his silly self.

"It just helped us to continue moving forward and be happy because he's the one going through it and if he can be the light…why are we going to bring that down?” says his mother, Sina Snoeu.

Leam and his family had a luau at the Learning Experience Center in Manalapan on Tuesday, where they got to play with turtles and enjoy a traditional Hawaiian performance.

This was when Leam was given the surprise announcement that he and his family will be spending a weeklong getaway in Hawaii. The family will get to relax on the beach, swim with dolphins and go on a submarine tour.

Leam’s Hawaiian getaway is the official kickoff to the 2023 Let's Grant Wishes campaign during the entire month of April as Learning Experience Centers across the country will be fundraising for Make-A-Wish.