A simple wish: to touch a plasma ball
On Wednesday 3 December, Plinio and Sofia, two young kids from Ticino, visited CERN accompanied by their parents. Organized by Make-A-Wish Switzerland – a foundation that grants wishes to children living with life-threatening conditions – the visit was the opportunity for Plinio to see his dream of touching a plasma ball come true.
Plinio, 6 years old, his sister Sofia, 11 years old, and their parents during their recent visit to CERN (top); back home (bottom) with Plinio's Make-A-Wish gift. (Photo credits: top: Make-A-Wish Foundation; bottom: provided by the family)
Plinio, 6 years old, and Sofia, 11 years old, suffer from a rare disease known as Fanconi Anemia. On 3 December, they visited the Globe, the ATLAS visitor centre and the Microcosm. The whole family also enjoyed a special session of “Fun with Physics” presented by Dominique Bertola, from the CERN Education Group.
Both kids showed their strong interest in CERN: Plinio surprised everybody with his impressive knowledge of antimatter and Sofia went home with an even stronger interest in science and mathematics.
After the visit, the Make-A-Wish Foundation fulfilled Plinio's wish for a shiny plasma ball, which both kids are now enjoying at home.
