Make-A-Wish: Meet the unstoppable 6-year-old who beat odds

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - For this 6-year-old, physical therapy is not just about building strength; it is about embracing joy.

At first glance, Liam Kurka is like any other kid. He’s full of energy, determination and laughter. His playful spirit shines through as he jokes with his physical therapist as she helps him jump up and down.

But behind his big personality is a battle he has been fighting since birth. Liam was born in 2018 with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital condition that affects normal blood flow through the heart. The standard course of treatment includes three open-heart surgeries by age 5. Liam, however, has endured four — the first at just 3 weeks old.

“After his first open-heart surgery, he suffered some complications that put him into cardiac arrest,” his mother, Amber, recalled. “He spent four days on life support on ECMO.”

”If I could get a dime for every time a doctor said, ‘I just don’t know how he’s here,’ I’d be a wealthy woman,” she added.

Liam took his first steps at age 3, and thanks to ongoing physical therapy, he continues to grow stronger each day.

“I’m so proud of him,” Amber said. “This kid has been an overcomer since the day he was born — he went from having a 25% chance of life at birth to what we see today.”

Despite his challenges, Liam has never lost his joy.

Last year, Make-A-Wish Alaska granted him a dream trip to Disney World during Halloween, where he met his favorite character, Oogie Boogie from the movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

“He got a high five at the parade,” Amber recalled. “I can’t tell you how many times I was choking back tears, watching my boys interact with characters. Even my 17-year-old hugging Mickey Mouse became a teardrop moment because it was something we never thought that we would get the opportunity to see.”

While Liam’s journey has been anything but easy, his mother holds onto hope for a future beyond what doctors ever expected.

“I’d like to see him get married. I’d like to see him have children and be the first generation that’s going to outlive everyone’s expectations,” she said.

With his unstoppable spirit and the love of those around him, Liam is proof that hope, strength and a little bit of magic can go a long way.

Stay tuned to Alaska’s News Source over the next three weeks as more Alaskan children have their respective wishes granted.

Thanks to donated airline miles, kids like Liam can have their wishes granted. If you’d like to help make more wishes come true for children facing critical illnesses, consider donating your unused airline miles by clicking here to Make-A-Wish Alaska and help us reach 1 million miles!

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.