Boca Raton girl with special needs wanted to swim with a dolphin. Wish granted.

David Goodhue
·2 min read

Giovanna Camarotti Dadalto has a nervous system disorder that makes it difficult for her to communicate.

But, one thing the 12-year-old from Boca Raton has made clear for quite some time: Her dream is to swim with dolphins.

Through the non-profit Make-A-Wish South Florida, that happened Friday morning. For about 30 minutes, Giovanna got to play with Leo, one of the sea mammals living at Dolphins Plus Bayside in Key Largo.

Leo showed off his moves, and Giovanna was able to pet him, help feed him fish and touch his pectoral and dorsal fins, as well as his fluke — all while she, her parents Mirella and Renan, and trainer Anna Whisenhunt stood on a submerged wooden platform in Dolphin’s Plus’ lagoon.

“She loved this,” Mirella said.

Marine mammal trainer Anna Whisenhunt shows Giovanna Camarotti Dadalto how to pet the fluke of Leo the dolphin at Dolphins Plus in Key Largo. Her parents, Renan Dadalto and Mirella Pucci look on. The family went to Dolphins Plus Friday, April 23, 2021, as part of the Make-A-Wish South Florida program.
Marine mammal trainer Anna Whisenhunt shows Giovanna Camarotti Dadalto how to pet the fluke of Leo the dolphin at Dolphins Plus in Key Largo. Her parents, Renan Dadalto and Mirella Pucci look on. The family went to Dolphins Plus Friday, April 23, 2021, as part of the Make-A-Wish South Florida program.

The family recently arrived to the United States from Brazil.

Mirella and Renan said their daughter’s condition is very rare, affecting only about eight people in the world. She has difficulty hearing, speaking and seeing. But, the most dangerous aspect is it causes frequent seizures, Renan said.

They occur so often, that the fact that Giovanna hasn’t had one in 14 days “is a miracle,” her father said.

Whisenhunt, 27, has been a Dolphins Plus trainer for three years. She said Leo is the perfect animal to work with special needs children like Giovanna.

“Leo’s our most patient dolphin,” she said. “He does the best with special needs children. It’s heartwarming.”

Swimming with the dolphins is a frequent request for families with special needs or critically ill children, said Richard Kelly, Make-A-Wish South Florida chief operating officer.

“You can see on their faces, it just means everything to them. With all that they’re going through, and all that their families are going through, they deserve this respite. They deserve this time to forget about the illness,” Kelly said. “Forget about what they’re going through. Forget about what’s happening in their lives and just enjoy a life experience. And, what we’re able to provide to them is a life experience and something they’ll remember forever.”

For more information about Make-A-Wish South Florida, go to wish.org/sfla.

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