Teen cancer survivor's Make-A-Wish becomes toy shop for UNC Children's Hospital

Make-A-Wish Eastern Carolina granted a milestone wish to a teen who used it to give back.

Indigo Powell, 17, is a survivor of brain cancer in part because of treatment at UNC Children's Hospital.

She knew she wanted to use her wish to brighten the hospital stays of other kids.

"My PE teacher used to call me Indi-GLO because he said I was just so positive," Powell said.

She's welcoming patients in UNC Children's pediatric cancer unit into Indi-GLO's Toy shop, fulfilling her dream to give away toys to kids going through a difficult time.

Doctors at UNC Children's diagnosed Powell with stage 4 glioblastoma brain cancer when she was 14.

Chemo, surgery and experimental treatments led her to where most people with her diagnosis do not go, into remission.

"Kids don't usually survive that, so watching her journey has just been amazing," said Lori Powell, her mother.

Her journey led Indigo to become the 4,500th make-a-wish kid in Eastern Carolina.

Giving away toys in her own toy shop in a family lounge on the pediatric cancer floor of the Children’s Hospital was her biggest wish.

Jackie Jordan Walker, a spokesperson from Make-A-Wish said, "As she thought more, she just kept saying I want to do something good. Make-A-Wish is about sharing joy with children, and I think Indy encapsulated that perfectly."

The glow of her giving shines in all directions. Recently, Powell watched a little boy pick out a toy.

"It just made me feel so happy, he was so sweet knowing he could have anything he wanted," Powell said.

Indigo is just getting started.

She hopes to become a student at UNC-Chapel Hill and pursue a career as a child life specialist to keep helping kids at the hospital.