Wishful singing

Singing since she was a small child, Kayla Young has dreamed of the day she would be sitting in a studio, laying down tracks of her own songs. Recently, Young got her wish — with a little help from a group of girls at Corona del Mar High School.

Young was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was 2 years old and has lived with the lung condition all her life.

Last August, her doctor notified her of the opportunity to be a part of the Make-A-Wish program, and they quickly put together a chance for Young to fulfill the wish of her choice. Without hesitation, she chose to record her own album.

“If anything, having [cystic fibrosis] has made me stronger,” the 18-year-old Young said. “[When I was in the studio] I thought, this is really happening. I am where I want to be.”

Part of the reason Young had the opportunity to get her wish was due to the tremendous efforts of the Make-A-Wish club at Corona del Mar High School. The club had a party for Young Thursday at school, complete with a presentation of plaques and gifts, which included an enormous bag of salt-water taffy — Young’s favorite.

The room was filled with girls who wanted to meet Young, hear about her recording experience in August and ask questions.

“You’d be amazed how many people want to volunteer,” the group’s president, Abby Carrier, said.

Make-A-Wish children don’t usually meet their benefactors, either because their condition makes meeting difficult or because the children are shy, representatives from the organization said.

But Carrier wanted to meet the teen it endorsed and talked it over with its Orange County representative. When they contacted Young, she said she’d be there.

“It makes it more a personal club rather than fundraising and sending a check off,” Abby said. “It brought it down to a level where you can connect.”

The Make-A-Wish group has been at the high school since 1997, when it would invite hundreds of the children to the school for a party.

The national organization later decided it would rather have independent clubs at schools that raise funds to sponsor one person. This marked Corona del Mar’s sixth consecutive year of sponsoring through Make-A-Wish.

The group, which jumped from 15 members last year to 40 to 50 members this year, has car washes, bake sales, gift wrapping and community service to raise funds to sponsor a child. The group’s members raised $4,000 each of the last six years, plus some additional funds this year to throw the party for Young.

“I felt really close, felt a part of something,” Young said of her experience at Corona del Mar, her mother’s alma mater. “It’s great knowing what they’re doing.

GET TO KNOW KAYLA YOUNG

Age: 18

Hometown: Mission Viejo

College: Cal State Fullerton

Major: Communications

Instrument of choice: Guitar

About cystic fibrosis: It is a genetic chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. The disease causes a person to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that can clog the lungs and cause potentially life-threatening infections. It also can obstruct the pancreas and disrupt the body’s ability to break down and absorb food. Most people today with cystic fibrosis live to be in their 30s, 40s or more.

For more information on the disease, visit www.cff.org

DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at daniel.tedford@latimes.com.