Waylon's Out-of-This-World Bedroom Makeover

At just 15 years old, Waylon has already shown incredible resilience.

In April 2025, Waylon was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL), and he's expected to remain in treatment through 2027. Along the way, he has faced multiple medication and food allergies that required emergency care, carries an EpiPen, and manages steroid-induced diabetes. Through it all, Waylon has met each day with curiosity, humor, and an incredible imagination.

Advances in cancer treatment mean most of a child's care now happens at home, not in the hospital. For Waylon, that means his bedroom is where he takes his medications, manages side effects, and recovers between treatments. It's also where he studies, reads, plays piano, builds LEGO creations, shows off his beloved Transformers collection, and escapes into the books, movies, and games that bring him joy.

So when we asked Waylon to dream up his perfect room, he aimed for the stars.

The Dream: A Room Inspired by the Galaxy

Waylon pictured deep blues, greens and purples, textured walls, futuristic touches, subtle RGB lighting, and plenty of display space for the collections he has spent years building. Most of all, he wanted a room that felt private, a place where he could recharge, heal and simply be himself.

Before

His room had beige walls, worn carpet and an empty closet. It was a blank slate, and it didn't yet reflect the creative, collection-loving teen who lives there.

After: Welcome to Waylon's Galaxy

Today, Waylon's room feels like a trip into deep space. A floor-to-ceiling galaxy mural wraps the walls in swirling nebulas and starlight, and deep blue paint sets the mood around it. Warm wood-look flooring grounds the space.

A loft bed frees up floor space. Underneath is a desk and gaming station with an RGB-lit gaming chair, and the staircase leading up to the bed doubles as storage, with a drawer built into every step. Next to it sits a cozy lounge chair with a plush faux-fur throw, perfect for reading, gaming or resting on tough days.

Waylon's favorite part might be the lighted glass display cases. His Transformers and collectibles finally have a place to shine, glowing blue against the galaxy wall. A custom closet with deep-blue drawers keeps everything else organized and out of sight.

The result is exactly what Waylon imagined: a private, out-of-this-world space built around the realities of treatment at home, where he can rest, recharge, heal and simply be himself.

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Thank You to Our Incredible Partners

Waylon's dream room was made possible by the generosity of our community

• Stella Interiors designed the room and brought Waylon's galaxy vision to life
• ClickUp, our bedroom sponsor, funded the transformation, and a team of their volunteers spent Friday organizing and decorating the room
• Closet Factory built and donated a custom closet that keeps everything organized
• Nur donated the installation of the stunning galaxy wallpaper
• Sal donated the painting that sets the room's deep-space mood
• Ben donated the beautiful new flooring
• Heartlenz Photography captured the transformation and Waylon's big reveal

To everyone who gave their time, talent and resources: thank you for giving Waylon a space where he can heal, dream and be himself.

Help Us Create the Next Dream Room

Children fighting cancer spend most of their treatment journey at home, and every one of them deserves a space designed to support their healing. Join us at our 5th Annual Hope for the Holidays Gala on Friday, November 6, 2026, at Feast & Fareway in Coronado, or donate at designingdreamsusa.org to help fund the next treatment-informed bedroom transformation.