TERRE HAUTE — For one Wabash Valley girl, she’s spent most of her young life in and out of children’s hospitals.

She’s a giving person by nature and this year, you can help make her birthday wish come true.

“I’m going to turn eight,” says Esme Drew.

Her birthday is just right around the corner.

“My gift would be that dogs and cats get lots of new homes,” said Esme. “I want them to get like, money so the puppies and the cats can have enough medicine, dog food, and cuddly beds.”

You see, Esme knows all about medicine and cuddly beds.

“She has some health issues,” said her father, Christopher Drew. “She has a congenital kidney condition that has had her in and out of the hospital.”

Esme is the first child in a new trial that would help thousands of kids across the nation with a rare genetic condition, Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease.

“She has that awareness sort of built in, and as a dog family, that’s sort of where her heart has always been,” said Christopher.

“I think it’s an important part of parenting to teach your kids to be compassionate and empathetic, but we’ve never really had to try hard with her to do that,” says Brooke Drew, Esme’s mother. “I mean, she’s just sort of naturally a very giving [person].”

Esme has always kind of beat to her own drum.

“It makes me feel like I want to help because if they don’t get homes, then they won’t be able to live and then they’re going to have to go away,” says Esme.

Whether she’s playing the piano, banging on drums or getting in her art closet, she’s willing to give up getting gifts so that local cats and dogs can have a shot at finding their forever homes.

If you’d like to help Esme in granting her birthday wish for  the Terre Haute Humane Society, click here.

To help fund research for Esme’s rare genetic condition, click here.

Source: WISH