NEWSBarefoot Contessa's Ina Garten Finally Agrees to Meet Make-a-Wish Kid, He's Got a New Wish
March 29 2011, Published 10:27 a.m. ET
After turning down a 6-year-old Make-A-Wish boy, Enzo Pereda, with leukemia twice, Barefoot Contessa's Ina Garten has finally agreed to meet him. But Enzo would rather swim with the dolphins now and is focusing on his second wish.
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Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Enzo requested a cooking session with Ina. But according to ABC News, Ina turned him down twice.
After much criticism, Ina invited Enzo to the set of The Barefoot Contessa.
"Ina became aware of Enzo's story this weekend and will be calling him today," a spokesperson for Ina said in a statement to ABC News. "She looks forward to inviting him to spend some time with her at the Food Network studios."
"Ina receives approximately 100 requests a month to support charitable causes that deeply affect peoples' lives," the statement continued. "She contributes both personally and financially on a regular basis to numerous causes, including to Make-A-Wish Foundation. Sadly, it's of course not possible to do them all. Throughout her life, Ina has contributed generously to all kinds of important efforts and she will continue to do so."
However, Make-A-Wish made a statement of its own and said it will be focusing on Enzo's second wish instead.
"Enzo and his family have publicly expressed excitement about his dolphin wish," a spokesperson for the foundation said in a statement to ABC News. "According to his mother, Enzo has started sleeping in his swimsuit because he wants to be ready when he dreams about them at night."
"We have been informed that Ina Garten plans to contact Enzo independently of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and we wish them well," the statement added.
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Enzo became a fan of Ina's show while he was resting in bed after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia three years ago.
He was turned down by Ina last year and then again this month and Enzo's mother blogged about it.
"As we were arriving home from the hospital I got word from 'Make A Wish' that it is has been officially confirmed that Ina Garten (the 'Barefoot Contessa') has declined Enzo's wish to meet her and cook a meal with her," she wrote.
"I felt terrible for him, he has been unwavering in his desire to meet her for 3 years and despite many attempts to get him to pick a 2nd wish or change his mind he would not. Last year Ina gave a 'soft no' supposedly because she had a 10 month book tour and they called and asked him what he wanted to do and he said 'I will wait' and he did."
Fortunately, Ina has now had a change of heart...but it seems so did Enzo.
