Aspiring musician's wish coming true

David Herrera's dark brown eyes light up at the mention of music.

The 12-year-old sixth-grader from Carpentersville dreams of starting his own band. Not a punk band or a rock band. Jazz isn't his thing, either.

David loves Duranguense - a genre of Mexican music.

"It is my favorite kind of music," David said. "I like the drums, the bass drum. If I had a band I would play the bass drum."

That dream - or more appropriately wish - will come true Saturday for David, who was diagnosed with a brainstem tumor 2 1/2 years ago.

The Make a Wish Foundation and Fat Cat Guitars in Carpentersville are giving David a bass drum, saxophone, keyboard and synthesizer at a surprise party Saturday at the family's home.

"His wish is so great," said Alyssa Kennedy, a Make a Wish volunteer who, along with co-worker Veronica Patino, helped grant David's wish. "He wants his own band. That is such a fun and rewarding thing to be working on."

Kennedy and Patino, who work at Prudential First Realty in Crystal Lake, have granted five wishes to children from Crystal Lake and Carpentersville this year.

Kate Darling Bond, co-owner of Fat Cat Guitars, said helping the community is important for the small business.

"Working on this project has been one of my favorite things to do," said Darling Bond, whose business has also helped organizations such as the Elgin Boys and Girls Club, the Assisi Animal Foundation and local high schools. "They are amazing people at Make a Wish. It is a privilege to make something special happen for a special young man."

Music has always been part of David's life. His godparents, uncles and cousins are musicians, said his mother, Jeannette Herrera.

"It runs in the family," she said. "We like all kinds of music and we like to dance."

Doctors at Sherman Hospital initially suspected David's illness was related to an asthma attack and pneumonia, but subsequent tests at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago found a ganglioma, a brainstem tumor that affects the central nervous system.

David, who since December 2006 has had four operations to remove the tumor, also enjoys jamming with his two brothers, Damien, 10, and Jose, 15, and playing soccer.

The brothers also lean on each other for support.

"They help me out a lot with homework and following directions," David said.

And his brothers say David has helped the rest of the family through the ordeal with his positive personality and self belief.

"If I ever got hurt or sick, I would look up to David for inspiration to get through that," Jose said. "He has been so strong."