For three days, an Ironton teenager lived like a queen. Cortney Price, a 15-year-old Dawson-Bryant High School sophomore, took her first airplane ride to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.

She stayed in a hotel with two pools and two hot tubs, had $1,700 to spend, and while she wasn't shopping, she visited theme restaurants and other attractions.

The trip, taken July 24-26, was courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"I like to go shopping," she said. "I bought clothes, a CD player, purses, shoes and a camcorder. My cousin and most of my friends were wanting to go, too."

Two years ago, Price was diagnosed with a rare genetic syndrome known as MPS #6. The condition is not contagious, but there is no cure.

"She was probably born with it," said Robert Price, Cortney's father. "We just didn't know this until she was 13. When this was confirmed, a doctor told us if this wasn't caught, she would have had a stroke at 13."

The syndrome affects every part of Cortney's body, said Delphine Price, her mother. She has severe back pain and has underwent open-heart surgery.

Also, she suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome, and her fingers are slightly curled.

"I do what I can until I get tired or my back hurts," Cortney said.

Mrs. Price said she found out about the foundation on the Internet. She sent them an e-mail to which they responded in a few days.

Cortney discovered her wish was granted two days after her 15th birthday. She crossed out the days on the calendar before the trip.

Her parents both said Cortney couldn't visit amusement parks such as Disney World because it was against doctors' orders. The trip to the mall was approved, but she was told to not carry packages weighing more than five pounds.

This didn't stop Cortney from going on a shopping spree.

"She said, 'Mom, you're going to have a lot of packages to carry,'"

Mrs. Price said.

After purchasing her camcorder, Cortney videotaped her 10-year-old sister, Carla, in the hotel swimming pool.

When the family visited, they wore Make-A-Wish Foundation badges.

"Some people came up and talked to us, and some stores gave us discounts," Mr. Price said.

Mr. Price had praise for the foundation.

"They take kids like Cortney and make their wishes come true," he said. "Some of them get computers, big screen TVs, and the chance to meet famous people. They're really good people."

"They have something to look forward to besides sickness," Mrs. Price added.

Cortney didn't spend all of the money because she's saving some of it for school supplies. After finishing school, she said she would like to become a nurse because she wants to help people. Amelia Pridemore/The Ironton Tribune