Austrian Boy Granted Wish to See South Dakota Farm

BALTIC, S.D – A boy from Austria had one wish. He wanted to see what life was like on a farm.

The Make-A-Wish International foundation gave him some options and his choice brought him all the way to Baltic.

Matthias Hasibar is a 14-year-old who is passionate about farms. So much so, that he often spends his days learning about them.

“He watches a lot of YouTube videos, and before that when he was smaller, he had a lot of books,” says his mother Daniela Hasibar.

This week, Matthias got a chance to live out his dream. The Make-A-Wish International Foundation brought Matthias and his family from Austria to the heartland, where he got to experience AgPhD’s Field Day in Baltic.

“He said to us, we only need three tickets back home, he stays here forever,” his mother adds.

Matthias has been through a struggle. He has health conditions that will affect him for the rest of his life. His obstacles do not stop there, however, as he is also diagnosed with autism.

“Hospitals and doctors and therapists, and he had a lot of pain in his past, and probably in the future. So, this is very special for him, and for me too, for us parents.”

One thing was able to make Matthias smile… Looking at the large farming machinery and tractors.

He was even given the chance to drive a tractor himself… “It was fast but not too fast!” he says.

Matthias’s mother is moved by her son’s experience and is grateful to the entire state of South Dakota.

“Everyone here, people are so friendly. We didn’t expect that really really it’s so amazing. We will remember probably until the rest of our lives. we will think about you and South Dakota.”

While these machines may be a part of everyday life for South Dakotan’s, for one boy in Austria, they are life-changing.