A Make-A-Wish come true for Tatum

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HURON — Three-year-old Tatum Songer squealed with delight when she spotted her bright purple playhouse with white trim and a bold blue door on Aug. 26 — a Make-a-Wish come true for this little Huron girl who has been battling cancer for the past year.
“She was out there until 11:30 p.m. that night they brought it, then back out the next morning at 8 a.m.,” said Tatum’s mother, Ashley Waagen. “She was out until 2 or 2:30 p.m., came in and said, ‘I tired.’ She hasn’t played that hard in a long time. She gets winded pretty easily. She spends time in it every single day since she got it.”
Tatum had been diagnosed with Wilm’s tumor, a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children, just weeks before her third birthday.
Tatum’s wish was granted by 15 local businesses in the community and Make-A-Wish organization, which began working on Tatum’s wish in early March, just before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We want to exceed what the kid thinks, what the family wants, to go above and beyond with all levels,” said Joe Evenson, senior director program services with Make-A-Wish South Dakota.
Evenson contacted Dustin Christianson from Builders FirstSource of Huron, which donated all materials for constructing the playhouse. Other businesses donating time and materials to make the wish come true were Duane’s Carpet Outlet, All Auto Collision, Meyer Modernizing, Bayer Built, Fargo Glass & Paint, Timber Roots, Gene Stocks, Roger Reindl, Protective Coating Specialists, Huron Welding & Mack’s Metal, Modern Woodman of Huron, and Blondie’s Carpet Laying.
“Dustin has a huge heart,” Evenson said. “We make the phone calls, talk about the kids and the wish, then go to the experts like Dustin, who got the other businesses involved in this.”
Also playing a key role in not only this wish, but many others that have been granted, is the South Dakota State Dart Tournament, which has raised more than $500,000 for wishes over the past 25 years.
Because COVID-19 restrictions made a gathering impossible for the wish reveal, the South Dakota State Dart Tournament organized a drive-by parade of well-wishers that passed by Tatum’s home. Members of the Dart Tournament led the parade, which included Huron police and fire department personnel and other community members.
“Our organization seeks to bring every eligible child’s wish to life because every child deserves a childhood,” said Sue Salter, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish South Dakota. “A wish delivers hope to a child with a critical illness, and in these challenging times, we are committed to finding ways to deliver hope.”

Waagen said her daughter’s tumor was diagnosed after six weeks of going back and forth to the doctor to find out why she had blood in her urine.
“They said it will pass, it might be a UTI (urinary tract infection), but that mother’s instinct — you just know something else is going on,” Waagen said. “She was still 2 when we found out she had cancer. Wilms’ tumor can grow incredibly fast, it could triple in size within 48 hours. The tumor grew on her kidney, it took over her entire kidney. She had to have her kidney removed.”
Tatum underwent chemotherapy treatments, and at the conclusion another scan revealed that the cancer had spread to both of her lungs.
“That was in March 2020 that we found out she would have to have another round of much harder chemo and a set of radiation,” Waagen said. “She had to be sedated every day for radiation. It was just me and her up there for a week and a half, along with COVID-19 hitting at the same time.”
All of Tatum’s procedures and treatments have been through Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls, where they can stay in the medical center’s Castle of Care.
“I remember our drive home from the scan,” said Waagen, whose partner is Tatum’s father, Cody Songer. “I just broke down, crying. Tatum was like, ‘Don’t cry, mom.’ She would smile at me, her smile has made everything so much better, that’s for sure.
“She has three weeks left of her chemo, then that first week of October she’ll have another set of scans,” Waagen said. “Hopefully, hopefully, everything will be good then.”
Waiting at home for Tatum to return following her treatments are her half siblings, Carlie Songer, 13, and Nolan Songer, 12.
“She calls them Bubba and Sissy,” Waagen said. “They’re actually at home now patiently hoping Tatum gets out of the hospital early.”
Her grandparents,Teri and Dave Waagen of Huron, have been immensely helpful in Tatum’s treatment. Teri Waagen was in Sioux Falls with Tatum for the child’s chemo treatment over the weekend.
“My mom has taken off work to help me take care of Tatum and make sure she gets everything done that she needs,” Waagen added.
Tatum, with big brown eyes and a ready smile, goes about the business of being a happy 3-year-old when she isn’t undergoing cancer treatments.
“Tatum loves to play, she’s always asking to come play with me,” Waagen said. “She’s been going through chemo treatments for a year here, but she’s always happy and cheerful, always looking toward the positive. She’ll find out the bad news, what her body will have to go through, then she’s on to playing with the next thing.
“She is so easy going and happy, you can give her a cardboard box and she is the happiest kid in the world,” she added. “She is happy with anything and everything.”
And one thing is for certain, Tatum is happy with her new playhouse. The playhouse has a loft with a ladder and built-in shelves for toys and books, a kitchen with toy food and cooking sets, a cleaning set, pillows, blankets, a bean bag chair and table and chairs.
“It’s big,” Waagen said. “It’s got just a little Tatum-sized door on there, but once you get in you can fully stand up in there. I never would have imagined something like this, it’s incredible.
The building is fully insulated, so Waagen said they could put a small heater or air conditioner in there as the weather changes.
“So many have helped, it’s been an incredible experience,” Waagen said. “It’s definitely a roller coaster of emotions, that’s for sure.”