Special Spaces, Northwestern Mutual Transform Bedrooms for Racine Child With Cancer
Special Spaces and Northwestern Mutual volunteers created dream bedrooms for 7-year-old Annali and her brothers as she battles leukemia.
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, 7-year-old Annali and her family came home to a sidewalk message that read “Welcome Home,” chalk drawings of Disney’s Stitch and Angel, a bubble machine and volunteers who had spent the previous two days redesigning bedrooms for Annali and her brothers. Annali is battling leukemia. Special Spaces and Northwestern Mutual Downtown Milwaukee partnered on the bedroom makeover.
Inside the house, decorations greeted the family, and 60 volunteers created three personalized bedrooms. The team built furniture, painted, wallpapered, cleaned and decorated the bedrooms based on the vision boards and themes provided by the children.
Annali wanted a bedroom “drenched in Stitch.” Her younger brother requested a Marvel-themed room, with Spider-Man wallpaper as the focal point. Her older brother wanted a gaming-themed room. Volunteers installed hexagonal ceiling lights in the older brother’s room.
Each room features a raised bed, the child’s name in lights on the wall, a new rug, a mounted TV, light fixtures and decor matching the chosen theme. Annali’s diagnosis has affected the entire family, and volunteers designed a room for each child.
“It’s like Make-A-Wish meets Extreme Makeover Home Edition,” said Kate Inglish, Northwestern Mutual’s chief marketing officer. Inglish said Annali’s home was the second project Northwestern Mutual has sponsored in 2026, and the organization plans to continue working with Special Spaces in 2027.
Annali’s room
As a preview of Annali’s room, volunteers decorated the living room with pink-and-blue Hawaiian decor.
“It’s Stitch-themed!” Annali exclaimed, jumping up and down when she saw the Hawaiian decorations, a balloon arch and “OHANA” spelled in balloons over the fireplace. Volunteers played “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” as the family entered the house.
Streamers covered the entryway of Annali’s bedroom door. Inside was a pink room with Stitch-themed decor, string lights, stuffed animals, and an accent wall with Stitch wallpaper.
“It’s really girly and fun, and she wanted LED lights and mirrors and spots to do her makeup and wardrobe, so she’s going to have a lot of fun with it,” Inglish said.
Annali later brought over a neighbor to show the room. When asked what she thought, she smiled and said, “I loved it.”
“We’ve had everyone come together and help us more than we would have thought,” Annali’s mom said after the room reveal. “We’ve appreciated everybody along the way. She’s getting better every day, so that’s what matters. We’re so close to ringing the bell.”
Special Spaces
Special Spaces is a nonprofit organization that creates dream bedrooms for children with cancer ages 2 through 19. The organization has supported families across the country for more than 20 years, with chapters in Missouri, Tennessee, Florida, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio, New York and Wisconsin.
Special Spaces coordinated the vision for the home project, and Northwestern Mutual carried it out with volunteers. Children are nominated for a bedroom makeover and reviewed before being assigned a design team.
“It brings so much emotion out, just watching strangers come together to help someone in their community and make a difference in 24 hours,” said Cathy Wolfa, Special Spaces’ retiring state director. “They transform the space and help the siblings and do remarkable work. We really can’t do this without our sponsors, and we have several wonderful partners in the community.”
“We’re glad we could help with the kids’ rooms and take something off your list,” Katie Moss, Special Spaces director, told Annali’s mom.
If you’re interested in volunteering with Special Spaces, you can apply on the organization’s website. Sponsorship opportunities and the process to nominate a child can also be found online.
Northwestern Mutual Downtown Milwaukee
Northwestern Mutual Downtown Milwaukee sponsored the bedroom makeover. Inglish said the organization recently expanded to the Racine area, with an office in Mount Pleasant.
“We’re the worker bees. This is possible because we’ve offered a grant to support this bedroom makeover, and we’re planning to do another bedroom in 2027,” Inglish said before the family’s arrival.
“There was an opportunity to serve and support them,” Northwestern Mutual managing partner Frank Di Meglio said. “It’s beautiful to watch how people pause their lives and completely give everything to this.”
