Westerleigh teen learns that sometimes dreams do come true

Staten Island Advance—August 24, 2010

Like a genie in a bottle, for kids coping with life-threatening illnesses, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has made another dream come true.

This time, it was for Tracy Pulla, 17, of Westerleigh, an aspiring singer who got the chance to belt out her own songs, with help from a professional songwriter, and have them recorded at Manhattan’s Downtown Music Studios in SoHo.

Tracy was diagnosed at 10 with lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects various parts of the body. When her condition flares, it can be very painful, and has caused her to miss school. But through it all, she’s worked hard to always push herself forward, said her father, Diego.

The family learned about Make-A-Wish through Charla de Lupus, a program at Hospital for Special Surgery designed for teens who are coping with the disease.

“She’s happy doing it. She’s singing all the time, singing everywhere,” said her mother, Marita. Sometimes she’ll ask, “Please, Tracy, can you be quiet?”

“But when I hear her singing, I know she’s OK.”

Read the full story at SILive.com.