Tom Fedor/The Gazette Jessica Connery, 12, of New Market holds a photographer of her and her sisters, taken on a Caribbean cruise sponsored by the Kids Wish Network. Connery has lupus and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

One reason is so she can spend time with her older twin sisters, Jen and Jamie, as the bat girl for the Linganore High School softball team.

Warm weather or not, this year has been off to a much better start than last year for the New Market 12-year-old.

Last February, Jessica was diagnosed with lupus and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), after extensive medical testing. Lupus and JRA are similar diseases that cause the body's immune system to attack its own tissues, as though they were viruses. It causes inflammation in joints and organs and severe pain.

Recently, though, the Connery family enjoyed a Caribbean cruise vacation, Jessica's wish-come-true from the Kids Wish Network.

"She had a lot of fun," said her father, Tom, "we all did, really."

"We needed a break," said her mother, Karen.

Jessica spent many weekends last summer at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore going through chemotherapy sessions. Family members would often spend nights and weekends with Jessica, until she was well enough to come home.

Jessica's doctors interested the Connery family in events sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation, a nonprofit group that assists people with all forms of arthritis.

After going to a few of their events, Jessica's aunt contacted the Kids Wish Network in Tampa, Fla. That nonprofit group arranges for wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to come true.

Jessica's wish was for her family to enjoy a Caribbean cruise, and wish coordinator Emily Anderson arranged for the family's vacation aboard the Fascination, a Carnival Cruise ship, for a three-day cruise in the Bahamas.

The family arrived in Miami on March 3 and returned home on March 7. The Wish Network arranged for all expenses, including hotels, airfare and travel and spending money.

"It was huge," Jessica said of the ship.

The Connery girls enjoyed snorkeling around Nassau, the beaches and playing pingpong in the teen area of the ship.

The crew even arranged for a special tour for the family.

"Everybody got to go up to the bridge and meet the captain and crew," Tom said.

Shannon Gyurke, a Kids Wish Network coordinator, said the children her group helps enjoy being out of hospitals and spending time away from home with parents and siblings.

"The [cruise] staff is aware of who the kids and they are treated like kings and queens," Gyurke said.

Jessica said she enjoyed her dream vacation.

"There was a lot to do, but not enough time," she said.

Jessica will continue to struggle with Lupus and JRA, which have no cures, but can be managed with medication. Her mother has faith that the array of prescriptions will help Jessica lead as normal a life as possible.