Make-A-Wish Recent Wishes

I wish to go to the Super Bowl.

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:32:45 GMT

It�s moments before kickoff. The referee tosses the coin in the air. Heads or tails? Kick or receive? Giants or Patriots?

The anticipation is almost too much for David. He�s gone through so much to make it to Super Bowl XLVI. He�s survived leukemia, sat out a year of football to regain his health, battled to return to his team.

David is one of a dozen Make-A-Wish^® kids at the Super Bowl XLVI matchup between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. They�ll watch the teams give their all to claim the title. For each, the gridiron is more than spectacle � it�s inspiration, strength and optimism. And the Super Bowl is the absolute pinnacle of the football world. An unforgettable experience for each child, each family.

This chance to watch Super Bowl XLVI live is a new beginning for David. He�s already triumphed over leukemia. His return to the high school football team inspired his teammates to a state championship.

This moment is the first of his future. David pictures himself as an oncology nurse � with the first-hand knowledge to care for young patients, just like himself. He had the strength to overcome leukemia, and that strength guides him toward the path of helping others.

Each Super Bowl XLVI wish came true thanks to the Make-A-Wish^® America relationships with the National Football League and Chevrolet.

I wish to meet Tom Brady.

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:02:59 GMT

In moments of struggle and hardship, most of us try to rise above by imagining what our heroes would do or say in times. For some, these heroes are family members, religious entities, or comic book characters � for others, like Eric, strength and courage exist in the famous athletes we usually only see on the big screen.

Searching for strength in dealing with his condition, 18-year-old Eric wished to meet New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady. With the help of Make-A-Wish^® America volunteers and sponsors, Eric was soon a world away from the worries of his treatments while riding in a limousine to Massachusetts to meet his hero.

As he stands alongside Brady, Eric�s joy is undeniable. Here is the guy Eric watched on television winning Super Bowls. He exudes strength, power, confidence. If he can stand near Tom Brady, who is ever-willing and excited to meet him, too, Eric can do anything, even endure his treatments. It�s this dash of hope that makes such an everlasting impact on wish kids like him.

After meeting Brady, Eric watches him in action as the Patriots beat the Dallas Cowboys 20-16 at Gillette Stadium. But Eric�s experience continues. Eric and his family stay at the Courtyard by Marriot Boston Raynham while they connect with other wish families for lunch at CBS Scene restaurant. Eric is one of seven wish kids who meet Patriots players that day. A visit to the Patriots Hall of Fame completes his Make-A-Wish^® experience.

New England Patriot�s Tom Brady is known for his Cinderella story starting out as a sixth-round draft choice and seventh-string quarterback to finally taking his team to three Super Bowl Championships �with a potential fourth this February. To those of you who aren�t football fans this simply means Brady beat the odds, a great inspiration for wish kids who struggle to do the same.

I wish to meet the New York Giants.

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:49:11 GMT

The New York Giants have a challenge to face � a Super Bowl XLVI match-up with the New England Patriots. And a challenge looms for Giants fan Frank. Soon, he will get a bone marrow transplant. The Giants and Frank both need a dash of courage and a helping of luck.

With the help of Make-A-Wish^® volunteers and sponsors, Frank and his family fly to New Jersey to meet the team. Frank, his mother, father and two younger sisters met Coach Tom Coughlin, quarterback Eli Manning and linebacker Mark Herzlich

�I felt proud that these guys who are football players and coaches took time to step out of their status to come meet with us when they didn�t have to,� Frank�s mother, Maria, says.

Frank enjoyed having lunch with Herzlich, a cancer survivor whose words gave him extra courage to overcome his condition.

After spending time with these athletes, Frank and his family received New York Giants jackets, an autographed football and other memorabilia.

�It was unbelievable,� Frank says.

Maria reveled in those moments seeing her son swept away from worry and fear.

�Words can�t express it,� she says. �He was just so happy.�

But the Make-A-Wish^® experience wasn�t over yet. Frank had the chance to see his team live in action.

Football lifts hearts and minds. The players� commitment and sacrifice buoys its fans. For Frank, this game brought hope because his team won and he met them. Maybe the Giants and Frank bring each other luck for the obstacles ahead.

Once back home, Maria sees her son and youngest daughter Jaclyn � siblings who never really got along � sitting next to each other replaying the moments they met the team. Frank�s other sister Maryssa is ready to help her big brother as his bone marrow donor.

Though it was Frank�s wish, it left the entire family stronger and more connected than ever.

I wish to go to Paris.

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:05:55 GMT

Living with Chiari malformation makes Lindsey feel like she has a never-ending migraine. Though pain is part of her life, there�s so much more to her � determination, spirit, lofty aspirations.

One of her ambitions comes true as she stands under the Eiffel Tower�s shadow. Ever since her mother painted the landmark on Lindsey�s bedroom wall, she�s wanted to see it in-person. Her wish to go to Paris has come true. She starts under the tower and continues with strolls along the Seine, at the Louvre, in bakeries lining the streets.

Lindsey�s guide to Paris helps her navigate the subway and brings to life the history of one of the world�s great cities. She finds the best places to shop, collects mementoes and just basks in the joy of her wish come true.

Chiari malformation has filled Lindsey�s life with challenges: three brain surgeries, 100 days or more away from the classroom every year and the strain her condition places on her entire family. But she�s coped with it all. Paris is a celebration, but also a life lesson � to believe, to act, to reach for everything she wants in life.

As she experiences Paris, Lindsey looks forward to her future. She�ll always live with her condition and her challenges. But now, they can�t hold her back. Not from college, not from becoming a doctor one day, not from anything.

Monograms Travel^® planned and donated Lindsey�s trip to Paris. Since 2009, Monograms Travel has donated $150,000 worth of travel vouchers to grant international travel wishes. Local support and guidance arranged through Monograms allows wish kids and their families to enjoy seamless, worry-free trips abroad.

Visit the Monograms Travel website for additional information about their continued support for the Foundation.

I wish to share my music.

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:21:02 GMT

It�s another 12-hour day on the set for her music video. Set designers, producers, hair and makeup artists � all scramble under the bright studio lights. Their mission: to help Ivy, who is diagnosed with brain cancer, create a lasting artistic work � to grant her one true wish.

Ivy�s desire never falters during the long hours of work as her wish comes true. She participates in every step to turn her song, �At Ease,� into a professional-caliber music video. One of her teachers who went to war in the Middle East inspired her to write the lyrics. Ivy�s creative vision drives every aspect of the production, right down to its 1940s-inspired visual flare. The music? She wrote and recorded it before she was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Just getting to Seattle to have her wish granted is a tribute to her attitude. To be here, Ivy measured her progress in standing up out of her wheelchair, taking a few more steps than she did the previous day, reclaiming her guitar chops.

The work comes to fruition when more than 200 people join her at Seattle�s EMP Museum for the video premier of �At Ease.� Her success continues today, with the song available on iTunes. The music video is posted on YouTube and wish.org.

Ivy�s wish come true still inspires others � and Ivy herself. She knows people around the world can share her message of peace and find an emotional lift from her lyrics and melodies. And that gives her extra motivation to stay positive as she battles brain cancer.

I wish to go to Wonderland with Alice.

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:57:19 GMT

Story Part 1 | Photo Gallery 1 | Story Part 2 | Photo Gallery 2 | Part 3

Part 1: Robin and the volunteers who worked behind-the-scenes for more than a year to grant her wish

Llysa is a born actress. She�s played too many roles to remember.

But she�ll never forget her role as the White Rabbit from Alice�s Adventures in Wonderland. She has an audience of just one � wish kid Robin.

Llysa�s visit is the latest chapter in Robin�s struggle with a brain tumor. Robin�s wish to go to Wonderland with Alice is more than a year in a making � because of people like Llysa � people with time, talent and generosity.

Her wish granters know this is a rare wish, a flight of imagination that demands all the creativity they can offer. It takes months. They plan. They recruit. They turn Robin�s fondest wish into a plan � a plan that involves talented, kind-hearted people in the Seattle community. Actors, designers, groundskeepers, store managers and many more devote themselves to Robin�s wish.

Behind every activity that delights Robin is a kind volunteer � someone with talent, time and willingness to make her life better. They are members of an acting troupe, Space Needle employees, department store employees, catamaran captains, limo drivers and more. They are the real story of Robin�s wish, a tale of countless volunteer hours, endless planning and caring people who said �I can help.�

Part 2: Robin and her adventures through Wonderland

Robin opens her door and finds the White Rabbit on her doorstep. She wasn�t sure her wish to have her favorite fairy tale come to life was possible. But there�s the proof � thanks to stage actress Llysa, who delivers a message: The Queen requests Robin�s presence to play croquet.

They�re off in a limousine. Their first stop � a department store, where personal shoppers outfit Robin in fashions fit for meeting a Queen.

Robin tries eight different dresses to find the right one. Then, she�s on her way to Seattle�s iconic Space Needle � up the rabbit hole to start her adventure. There�s a tea party at a private dinner club. She boards a catamaran bound for an island where her own Wonderland awaits, along with its odd inhabitants and a super-sized croquet field. There, she plays croquet with hedgehogs, solves puzzles and � eventually � wins the queen�s crown. Robin meets the Cheshire Cat, the White Queen, the Tweedles � all the characters that offered her escape during the hardest moments of treatment.

Part 3: How Robin's wish affected her and her family

Robin returns to Seattle on-board a seaplane. Her voyage through Wonderland with Alice is over.

But the impact of her wish lives on. She and her family find a renewed sense of the importance of giving. They see how it helped them. They think of the difficult moments of facing the brain tumor as a family. Robin�s mom, J.T., remembers how every contact with a Make-A-Wish^® volunteer �sparked a ray of sunshine, a sense that something wonderful was in the works for Robin.�

Some days, Robin and her family thought the promise of �the wish seemed too good to be true, and we didn�t want to assume it was really going to happen.� Still, they found joy in the anticipation. During the �down moments,� the promise of the wish buoyed the entire family.

Today, the memory of Robin�s visit to Wonderland lives in their hearts. It�s a wellspring of joy, awe, gratitude. Though the volunteers were strangers before Robin�s wish came true, they�re now part of her family�s story forever. This is the impact of a wish.

I wish to go on a birthday shopping spree.

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:59:33 GMT

The store door closes behind Adan after a whirlwind shopping spree. Suddenly, Toys�R�Us seems a bit quieter. But the cheer and optimism he brought into the store with him lingers long after he�s left.

The Toys�R�Us team members who helped grant his wish know Adan faced an ordeal that few will ever understand or experience. And they know he faced his liver transplant with poise, determination and unfailing cheer.

Being part of his wish touches the hearts of Gloria and her team members at Toys�R�Us in Ventura, California. Together, they share Adan�s joy as he celebrates the triumph of his recovery � and his happiest birthday ever.

Gloria later wrote to the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® to share her experience during Adan�s visit. She explained how this Make-A-Wish^® visit made every team member feel more connected to their community.

�When any welcoming team member gets the opportunity to help make a child�s wish come true,� Gloria writes, �we go home with a feeling of SUCCESS.�

Since 1995, the Toys�R�Us Children�s Fund and Toys�R�Us, Inc. have supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation, providing more than $1.8 million to help grant the wishes of kids like Adan.

What kid wouldn't love to arrive for a shopping spree ... in a LIMO?

I wish to go to Paris.

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:27:04 GMT

Emily rarely strays far from her local hospital. The distance from there to her home is a comfort zone � and it�s also an emotional tether.

But today, her world expands. Emily boards a flight to Paris � a city she�s dreamed about since watching Audrey Hepburn star in the movie Sabrina. She�ll see the Eiffel Tower, relax on a sidewalk caf�, enjoy dinner during a luxurious Marina de Paris Seine River cruise.

Something even more profound will happen, though: Emily�s trip reassures her entire family that things will be OK. It gives Emily confidence to know she can live life again, just like any girl her age. It is her proof that she will experience life on her terms � and that the tumors she fights do not define her.

Monograms Travel� planned and donated Emily�s trip to Paris. Since 2009, Monograms Travel has donated $150,000 worth of travel vouchers to grant international travel wishes. Local support and guidance arranged through Monograms allows wish kids and their families to enjoy seamless, worry-free trips abroad.

Visit the Monograms Travel website for additional information about their continued support for the Foundation.

I wish to have my room redecorated for the holidays.

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:42:48 GMT

It�s another day closer to Christmas. Allison feels the spirit of the season in every word she hears. Although she can�t see her decorations or express herself with words, there�s no mistaking her joy. And there�s no mistaking the melody of her favorite Christmas carols.

Last year, Make-A-Wish^® volunteers redecorated her room with reindeer, snowmen and polar bears. A group of carolers visited to help grant her wish. They sang all the holiday classics � as they sang �Santa Claus is Coming to Town,� St. Nick arrived to read some of Allison�s favorite stories.

But this Christmas will be the best yet. Allison enjoys her holiday d�cor all season long. She knows Christmas is nearly here � and everyone she cares about � Mom, Dad, Benjamin and Sara � is by her side to celebrate.

I wish to go watch Wheel of Fortune live.

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:43:54 GMT

Everything is just as Connor imagined � the stage, the bright lights, the enthusiastic audience. He puts his hand on the famous wheel and gives it a spin, a highlight of his Wheel of Fortune wish.

Connor�s is the 14th wish granted by the Wheel of Fortune family. Since their first wish in 2000, they�ve welcomed every Wheel of Fortune wish with unforgettable enthusiasm. The cast and crew do everything to ensure that Connor enjoys every moment of his visit.

Connor and his family sit in the audience for two taped episodes and meet Vanna White, Connor�s favorite TV personality. They enjoy taking photos by the classic letter board, the one thing Connor has been most anxious to see. He�s always wanted to touch the famous letter board � and the day he finally does, it displays a message just for him: �Wheel of Fortune welcomes Connor!�

Connor�s condition will always be a challenge. But in his wish, he finds belief in all the possibilities in his life. And his new friends on the Wheel of Fortune set see how a Make-A-Wish^® experience can change a kid�s life.