FOR A GOOD CAUSE:Catching a wave of well-wishers

At first glance, Costa Mesa resident Lucas Campanaro seems like the quintessential Orange County teenager. He likes to skateboard, play video games with his brothers, snowboard, and above all, he loves to surf.

But Lucas is not typical. Over a year ago, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of connective tissues, and has been undergoing frequent chemotherapy ever since. For Lucas, the most devastating consequence of his diagnosis was simple — no surfing.

“I wasn’t scared or anything,” the 15-year-old said. “I was bummed I couldn’t surf for a whole year.”

It was only very recently that Lucas returned to the local waves he missed so much, but he hasn’t been down at the Wedge or Crescent Bay in the past few days. Fortunately, he hasn’t made any trips to the oncology ward either.

Lucas plans to return home today after five jam-packed days surfing the legendary waves of the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Lucas’ wish for a Hawaiian surf vacation finally came true, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County and the Inland Empire and Kids for Wish Kids, a local organization of high school students.

Lucas was a month into his freshman year at Newport Harbor High School when he was diagnosed, and the Make-A-Wish Club on campus didn’t hesitate to take up his cause. After more than a year of fundraising — which included raffles, yard sales, and a school-wide dodge ball tournament — the campus organization raised the necessary $4,000 to grant Lucas his wish.

“Our club shares a passion to give,” said Erika Myszynski, a senior at Newport Harbor and co-president of the club. “We don’t do it just for service hours or to look good on college applications.”

In addition to four round-trip tickets for Lucas and his family, Lucas received a voucher for a full-body massage, a farewell dinner at his favorite restaurant — Newport Rib Company — and a travel bag full of goodies for the voyage. Naturally, Make-A-Wish wouldn’t send him off without a hefty tube of sunscreen.

Jennifer Campanaro, Lucas’ mother, remembers feeling hopeless and desperate at the time of her son’s diagnosis. She credits all the people who helped her family get through those challenging times, stressing the help of Make-A-Wish, California Children’s Services, and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

“Never in a million years did I think we would be going to Hawaii all together,” she said. “It’s like a different reality.”

Lucas’ oldest brother, J.J. Campanaro, who is enjoying his third visit to the Hawaiian Islands, left UC Santa Cruz upon hearing the news of Lucas’ cancer diagnosis. J.J. was just a few months shy of earning his bachelor’s degree.

“You suddenly realize how nothing is important except for family,” J.J. Campanaro said. “We were a family before, but we never had to pull together like this.”

The Campanaros’ tight family bond and Lucas’ zest for life attracted Jennifer Nguyen, a Make-A-Wish wish granter, to Lucas’ case.

“For Lucas, it’s all about living life and surfing, and his situation has not affected that at all,” she said.

Though the first place he’ll go upon returning from Hawaii is the hospital for a round of chemotherapy, Lucas is looking forward to visiting many more of the world’s best surf spots.

“I still have lots of places to go,” he said. “Tahiti, Indonesia, Australia, Fiji.”