A 4-year-old boy made a wish upon a star and it came true Sunday at his home in Black Diamond.

The Seattle-based Make-A-Wish Foundation gathered a group of volunteers together to build a Rainbow Play System backyard playground at the home of 4-year-old Gary Bradford who has juvenile dermatomyositis. The disease does not allow Gary to be outside in the sun for extended periods of time.

According to his dad, Robert Bradford, Gary was first diagnosed with the disease when he was 2.

Although it is not life threatening the illness causes a severe rash all over his body. The light from the sun is thought to trigger an immune system response causing inflammation, rash and other symptoms.

When Gary develops the rash it is painful if he is touched or picked up.

“As he’s gotten older he’s begun to understand what it all means,” Robert Bradford said. “When we say Children’s Hospital he knows what it means.”

The playground system constructed in his backyard has a sun impervious cover over the slide, swings and raised platform.

In addition to the foundation, the Carapinito Brothers along with friends, neighbors and family gathered to build the playgorund set in the Bradfords backyard.

Black Diamond police officers along with firefighters and a fire engine from Mountain View Fire and Rescue joined in the festivities.

Gary’s mother Erika Bradford shared some information and web links about her son’s disease:

“Juvenile Dermatomyositis is considered an orphan disease which means not enough of the population has it to interest large corporations or drug companies, or the government for that matter to search for a cure.  In turn, we are left to try as parents to raise money on our own and fund our own research.  The foundation is called Cure JM, www.curejm.com .  You can find Gary’s picture on there as well.  The foundation has also put out video’s for newly diagnosed families which came out just after we were diagnosed. There are also a few more stories on there from families with JDM, including ours.”