Among a crowd of people filing into the Cincinnati Museum Center as it opens, Aaron and Owen Bennett zip through the massive rotunda in electric wheelchairs. They speed off toward the dinosaur exhibit with newfound confidence and mobility, provided in part by supporters of The Enquirer and United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s annual Wish List project.
“We had people that we didn’t even know personally that gave so generously,” said Aaron and Owen’s mother, Mariesa Bennett. “And it’s just so touching to know that there’s people out there that care that much.”
Just a few months ago, a visit to the museum required careful calculation. Aaron, 10, and Owen, 6, both live with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare, progressive disease that weakens muscles over time.
Their family was featured in December as part of the 2025 Wish List campaign. Mariesa and her husband Chris hoped to raise funds for two airline-compliant electric wheelchairs, which would allow their two oldest sons to travel safely, attend medical appointments and engage more fully in everyday life.
United Way partner organization Lincoln Heights Outreach Inc. nominated the Bennetts as one of eight families to be featured on the 39th annual Wish List. Thanks to generous readers, each wish has now been funded. In a remarkable show of community support, donors contributed a total of $148,983.
“We’re grateful for such a generous response to this year’s Wish List,” said Moira Weir, United Way of Greater Cincinnati President and CEO. “Because of you, these families got relief and felt renewed hope. Your support will continue to help others in similar circumstances throughout the year.”
Included in our 2025 Wish List:
- Maria Johnson, of Southgate: After losing her home in a fire, Maria and her four young daughters now have a washer and dryer in their apartment, easing financial strain as the family recovers.
- Jakobe Scott, of College Hill: A 24-year-old Army veteran and single father, Jakobe furnished his first apartment, creating a stable home for his two daughters as he transitions back to civilian life.
- Ash Harriger, of Georgetown: Community volunteer Ash and her 8-year-old daughter, Laraina, received bicycles and critical car repairs, providing safe transportation, independence and opportunity.
“It was heartwarming to see how readers responded to these stories about our neighbors in need of a little help,” Beryl Love, executive editor of The Enquirer said. “This partnership with the United Way truly harnessed the power of giving in our community.”
When the new wheelchairs arrived at their Green Township home, Owen could barely contain his excitement. His dad set them up before the boys arrived. “He walked right by,” Chris Bennett recalled. “Then he stopped. Then he came back around and yelled, ‘Our chairs are here!’”
Within seconds, the boys were climbing in and testing the controls, maneuvering perhaps not-so-carefully through the halls. “Immediately he jumps in there and he’s trying to drive and tearing up all the corners of my house,” said Chris. “But it was a magical moment.”
Years ago, when asked what advice he would give another parent facing a new Duchenne diagnosis, he said two things: “God is still good” and “You will smile again.” Watching his sons in their new chairs, he said, “I was able to smile again.”
The impact is already reshaping family life. The Bennetts have a membership to the Museum Center, but visits were often exhausting. Aaron and Owen tired easily. Long hallways and escalators posed challenges. Sometimes, to avoid limiting everyone’s experience, Mariesa would bring only their youngest son, Tyson.
“Now it’s almost like a brand-new museum,” she said. “I love seeing them being able to have the freedom and the independence to move around.”
Spring break plans have expanded, too. The family is saying “yes” to the San Diego Zoo and Legoland California – cross-country outings that once required serious logistical consideration.
Chris and Mariesa also called the new chairs tools that reinforce a lesson they intentionally teach their sons: Challenges are real, but they are not excuses to opt out of life. They want their boys to be engaged and confident as they contribute to the world around them.
“It’s one of the biggest messages, that love unites us more than anything else,” Chris said. “I think this has been such a reminder.”
