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Giant birthmark doesn’t stop Millcreek Township boy

It’s difficult at times to see the birthmark on Markus Lambert’s left leg.
Not because the dark brown skin abnormality is small — it’s about the size of two adult hands placed side by side.
But because Markus, 4, is often a blur as he dashes around his family’s Millcreek Township home.
“I love the Power Rangers,” Markus [...]

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Seffner businesses, organizations pull through for Kids Wish Network wish kid

SEFFNER, Fla. — Local organizations and businesses went above and beyond to help national charity Kids Wish Network raise money for a local girl to have a wish granted.
Kids Wish Network has various programs that reach out to children in crisis across the country including a wish granting program for children with life-threatening illnesses. When Kids [...]

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Dream treehouse for Bridgewater girl gets off the ground

BRIDGEWATER — Gianna Balletta’s nine years of life have been an adventure so when it came time to get a wish from the Kids Wish Network, she wanted a treehouse complete with a zip line.
On Wednesday Tree Top Builders, Home Depot and Somerville Lumber partnered to give her just that.
When she asked for a treehouse, [...]

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Kids Wish Network helps diabetic see her dreams come true

 Amber Collins got to start Tuesday morning like few others have – by taking a seat behind the sheriff’s desk.
Amber and her family got a special tour of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and got a step closer to making her dream of seeing the Jonas Brothers musical group in concert come true.
Collins has Type [...]

Read more...
John Heinz names Hero of the Month

John Heinz Rehab recently honored Daniel Stefanowicz as the July Hero of the Month as part of the nationally recognized Kids Wish Network, which honors a child who faced and has overcome tragic circumstances with courage. Stefanowicz, 14, received a certificate, T-shirt, a Guardian Angel coin and a gift card to a local store. Stefanowicz, [...]

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Borders and Kids Wish Network Team Up for Borders Benefits Days!

Borders.com and Borders locations in Carrollwood and Clearwater are holding Benefit Days for Kids Wish Network! On August 21 and 22, proceeds from purchases with valid coupons will go toward Kids Wish Network to help further our mission of reaching children in crisis across the country.
Take advantage of this great opportunity through online shopping [...]

Read more...
Her wish comes true: Dream trip to Florida becomes reality for New Philadelphia girl

NEW PHILADELPHIA, OH —
Stacia Eckhardt, daughter of Derek and Susan Dummermuth of New Philadelphia, has had a wish come true.
Kids Wish Network granted Stacia and her family a trip to Orlando, Fla., complete with hotel accommodations, meals and entry to the amusement parks Stacia has dreamed of  visiting.
 In early August, the family accepted the gift [...]

Read more...
Wishes are granted for Minerva boy

Seven-year old Cade Bethel and his family traveled to Florida to see the theme parks in Orlando June 9-14. This special family vacation was made possible by the Kids Wish Network and some local Minerva sponsors.
In May 2008 Cade was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a life-threatening condition that affects every muscle in the body. [...]

Read more...
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It’s difficult at times to see the birthmark on Markus Lambert’s left leg.

Not because the dark brown skin abnormality is small — it’s about the size of two adult hands placed side by side.
But because Markus, 4, is often a blur as he dashes around his family’s Millcreek Township home.
“I love the Power Rangers,” Markus said as he ran with a Power Rangers action figure around the living room. “I have a whole box full of them.
Children are often born with birthmarks, but few of them have undergone seven surgeries — with an eighth one scheduled Sept. 28 — to remove them.
That’s because Markus’ birthmark is called a giant congenital melanocytic nevus. It’s basically a large mole, but it increases his risk for skin cancer and, to a lesser degree, seizures and developmental delays.
“I remember having a C-section to deliver Markus, looking down and seeing what looked like a wrestling knee pad around his left knee,” said his mother, Nicole Lambert. “It looked like a large bruise, all purplish, brownish and blackish.”
Unlike a bruise, the birthmark didn’t fade away.
Lambert and her husband, Corry, took Markus to see doctors at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Cleveland Clinic.
They recommended that Markus undergo a series of operations to remove the birthmark.
“What you have is an incredibly large mole,” said Mark Hendrickson, M.D., a Cleveland Clinic plastic surgeon who has operated on Markus. “That much tissue gives Markus a higher risk of developing melanoma, so the goal is to remove as much of that tissue as possible.”
Cutting out Markus’ birthmark hasn’t been as simple as lopping off a mole, though.
Hendrickson needs healthy, normal skin to cover the wounds he creates by removing the birthmark tissue. So he implanted two skin expanders under the healthy skin on Markus’ leg.
“These are balloons that you fill slowly with saline to expand the skin,” Hendrickson said. “Over time, they give you extra skin to cover the wound.”
The surgeon can only remove as much birthmark as can be covered by the expanded skin, so the removal has gone slowly. Four years after the first surgery, two-thirds of Markus’ birthmark still remains.
The September surgery will remove up to another third of the birthmark, Hendrickson said.
After each surgery, Markus is bandaged from hip to ankle and told not to do anything to tear open his stitches.
“He does so well, but it’s tough for a 4-year-old boy not to run around and wrestle and do things like that,” Nicole Lambert said.
As a reward for going through all the surgeries, Markus went on a trip with his family to Orlando, Fla., in early August.
The Kids Wish Network paid all of the family’s expenses, including plane fares, theme park admissions, meals and a rental car.
“They even gave us spending money,” Nicole Lambert said.
A family friend convinced Nicole Lambert to apply to have Markus’ wish granted. They went to Orlando because Markus wanted to see the Power Rangers at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, part of Walt Disney World Resort.
Once Markus got to see his heroes in person, they asked him to show them his fighting poses.
“I got to do this one,” Markus said, thrusting his fist through the air.
“And this one,” he said, crossing his arms.
Kids Wish Network may have granted Markus’ wish, but his prognosis is pretty good, Hendrickson said.
Removing most of his birthmark will reduce his risk of melanoma, though it will remain higher than the average person’s.
And Markus doesn’t show any signs of neurocutaneous melanocytosis, when pigment cells similar to those in his birthmark are found in the spinal cord or brain. It can cause seizures, developmental delays and — in rare cases — death.
The cells don’t travel there from the birthmark. Instead, they remain in the spinal cord and brain from when the child was a developing embryo.
“A child’s risk of NCM depends on how many satellite (birthmarks) he has and where they are located,” said Mark Beckwith, executive director of the Nevus Outreach Inc., a nonprofit nevus support and awareness organization. “Children with ones that cover their spinal cord have an increased risk.”
Markus’ only satellite birthmark is a small circle under his left ear.
“We could have an MRI done to see if Markus has any cells in his cord or brain,” Nicole Lambert said. “But unless he starts developing any symptoms, like headaches, there’s no reason to do it. They can’t remove those cells.”
Nicole Lambert said she knows how lucky her family is. She has grown close to the families of other children with the birthmarks who have died.
“So many kids have it so much worse,” Nicole Lambert said. “The surgeries are tough, but he’s doing so well.”
Times News
Erie, Pennsylvania
Published: 08/21/10
Source:
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100821/NEWS02/308219947/0/NEWS

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SEFFNER, Fla. — Local organizations and businesses went above and beyond to help national charity Kids Wish Network raise money for a local girl to have a wish granted.

Kids Wish Network has various programs that reach out to children in crisis across the country including a wish granting program for children with life-threatening illnesses. When Kids Wish Network received the application for Fatima, and was informed that her wish was a rush wish, the charity got right to work planning her wish to visit the Florida theme parks. 

Fatima is 8-years-old and is fighting against a cancer of the spine called Astrocytoma.  Because of the tumor’s location and continued growth, Fatima must rely on the use of a wheelchair, as her ability to walk has been claimed by the cancerous growth.  She is currently in Hospice care. 

A wish funding specialist from Kids Wish Network contacted local businesses and civic organizations to fund Fatima’s theme park wish. There were several generous people who helped create a memorable experience for Fatima, including the Hillsborough County Fire Fighters Local 2294, Hillsborough County Fire Fighters Charities, Inc, the Forest Eagles #4219 and Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Seffner.  

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s even took it a step further and organized a fundraiser for Fatima.  On the evening of August 11, the restaurant donated 20 percent of their dine-in and to go orders to Kids Wish Network to help fund Fatima’s wish.

According to Fatima’s mother, Luz, her daughter’s favorite theme park was Universal Studios where she enjoyed the “Simpsons” ride. 

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Fatima’s wish extra special: Hillsborough County Fire Fighters Local 2294, Hillsborough County Fire Fighters Charities, Inc, the Forest Eagles #4219, Seffner Beef O’ Brady’s, Regal Sun Resort, California Pizza Kitchen, Pirates Dinner Theater, Wonderworks, Fulton’s Crab House and Disney Compassion Program 

PRBuzz.com
Published: 08/19/10
Source:
http://www.prbuzz.com/non-profit/47313-seffner-businesses-organizations.html

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BRIDGEWATER — Gianna Balletta’s nine years of life have been an adventure so when it came time to get a wish from the Kids Wish Network, she wanted a treehouse complete with a zip line.

On Wednesday Tree Top Builders, Home Depot and Somerville Lumber partnered to give her just that.

When she asked for a treehouse, Gianna, who will be a fourth-grader at Crim School this fall, said she wanted something basic — a slab up in the tree at her home in the Martinsville section.

When the more than 20 volunteers started building the platform for a six-sided treehouse, Gianna could only describe it as “awesome.”

“In her short nine years of life she has been through more than most people do in a lifetime,” her mother Lisa Balletta said. “She has been so brave.”

Even with a life-threatening heart condition, Gianna is a thrill seeker, Balletta said.

“Nothing stops Gianna, nothing at all.”

Moments after Gianna was born, she turned blue. Doctors discovered she had a congenital heart defect known as Transposition of the Great Arteries, which happens when the flow of blood to her heart goes backwards.

Within hours, Gianna was in surgery with surgeons trying to swap her arteries which were no thicker than a strand of hair. She had another surgery when she was six months old.

“It was touch-and-go there for a while,” Balletta said.

In both surgeries, her chance of survival was slim. Gianna had a third open-heart surgery when she was four years old.

Gianna had done well until summer 2009 when she started to cough up blood. She spent two weeks at the hospital and doctors were not able to figure out how blood was getting in her lungs. Now, every three months, Gianna must endure a battery of tests.

“I don’t know what her prognosis is,” Balletta said.

For now, her mom said, they are just focusing on living life.

The treehouse will be something Gianna’s whole family can enjoy. Gianna’s siblings, Alyssa, 11, Kierra, 7, and Zachary, 13, are also looking forward to the treehouse.

“We’ll all be up there,” Balletta said.

Dan Wright of Tree Top Builders designed the six-sided treehouse eight feet off the ground. The zip line stretches the length of the yard.

The Kids Wish Network asked Home Depot in Bridgewater for supplies. Jennifer Hoffmann, who manages the Route 202 store, enlisted a crew of 21 Team Depot volunteers from her store and the one in the Bridgewater Promenade. Team Depot came over with flower pots. Employee Linda Light painted a birdhouse for the treehouse. Another employee Jodie Sawyer wood-burned a plaque that said “Gianna’s Treehouse.”

Somerville Lumber also donated supplies and a bag of stuffed animals because employees heard Gianna likes them.

Wright also installed a tree swing. Gianna helped launch a slingshot to get the rope over the branch, which was about two-stories high.

“I got it on the first try,” she said.

Courier News
Martinsville, New Jersey
Published: 08/18/10
Source:
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100818/NEWS/8180332/Dream-treehouse-for-Bridgewater-girl-gets-off-the-ground

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 Amber Collins got to start Tuesday morning like few others have – by taking a seat behind the sheriff’s desk.

Amber and her family got a special tour of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and got a step closer to making her dream of seeing the Jonas Brothers musical group in concert come true.

Collins has Type I diabetes and the fifth-grader has been through a lot to battle her disease. She was in a coma for three days and had seizures that sent her into the hospital. Now she takes four shots of insulin a day to regulate her blood sugar.

Aside from the Jonas Brothers, Amber is also interested in law enforcement – especially police dogs.

So Sheriff Steve Cronic asked Indy, the chocolate lab that patrols the hallways at Johnson High School and his handler Shad Hall to join them in the office.

The playful dog took to Amber right away.

“All the school-based dogs are always smiling and in a good mood,” Cronic said.

Though she was a bit shy at first, her face lit up when she started to pet Indy.

Amber and her family got to see it all – the 1982 Kawasaki that served as the department’s first motorcycle, a peek into the crime scene investigation lab and the map-lined walls of the traffic enforcement unit.

And of course there were souvenirs.

“We put together a little goody bag here to lift her spirits,” Cronic said.

Amber received a new life jacket, a beach ball, Frisbee,
pencils, a T-shirt and a stuffed bulldog, the mascot of the fifth grade anti-drug ADVANCE program.

Amber said after her tour that she wasn’t quite sure she would grow up to be a law enforcement officer just yet.

“I understand it’s a kind of dangerous job. You have to put you life on the line to save somebody,” she said.

The Kids Wish Network contacted the Fraternal Order of Police and asked for assistance in helping Amber.

Sheriff’s Investigator Donald McDuffie, the sergeant-at-arms for the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police, said he was moved when he heard about the Myers Elementary School student. He said the organization will be making a donation to help send Amber to the Jonas Brothers Concert in Tampa, Fla.

“We do a lot of telemarketing and all the funds we raise go back into the community,” McDuffie said.

Cronic said he really enjoys interacting with kids like Amber who look up to law enforcement officers.

“It reminds me why we get into this,” Cronic said. “It’s a nice contrast to a lot of the things we have to deal with.”

The Gainesville Times
Gainesville, Georgia
Published: 08/17/10
Source:
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/36675/

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John Heinz Rehab recently honored Daniel Stefanowicz as the July Hero of the Month as part of the nationally recognized Kids Wish Network, which honors a child who faced and has overcome tragic circumstances with courage. Stefanowicz, 14, received a certificate, T-shirt, a Guardian Angel coin and a gift card to a local store. Stefanowicz, who was born prematurely, was immediately diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Seated are Jean Fredmund, pediatric physical therapist, Daniel Stefanowicz, and Donna L. Diltz, John Heinz hero of the month coordinator. Standing: Daniel’s parents Denise and Adam Stefanowicz.

The Times Leader
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Published: 08/18/10
Source:
http://www.timesleader.com/community/John_Heinz_names_Hero_of_the_Month_08-18-2010.html

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Borders.com and Borders locations in Carrollwood and Clearwater are holding Benefit Days for Kids Wish Network! On August 21 and 22, proceeds from purchases with valid coupons will go toward Kids Wish Network to help further our mission of reaching children in crisis across the country.

Take advantage of this great opportunity through online shopping at Borders.com. During the checkout process, enter the coupon code KWNT8212K and you will be putting smiles on many young and deserving faces!

You can also support Kids Wish Network through Borders Benefit Days in the Tampa Bay area. It’s easy… simply print out the coupon below and go shopping! Present this coupon to the cashier and a percentage of the money you spend will brighten the lives of children in need.

Click on the images to download flyers:

KidsWishFlyer1

KidsWishVoucher2

Borders has a wide variety of books, CDs, movies, stationery, games and toys available at stores and online. Purchases made at Seattle’s Best Coffee Café located inside participating Borders stores are also included in the fundraising event.

So mark your calendars for this weekend’s event! Hope to see you there!

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NEW PHILADELPHIA, OH —

Stacia Eckhardt, daughter of Derek and Susan Dummermuth of New Philadelphia, has had a wish come true.

Kids Wish Network granted Stacia and her family a trip to Orlando, Fla., complete with hotel accommodations, meals and entry to the amusement parks Stacia has dreamed of  visiting.

 In early August, the family accepted the gift and enjoyed several days exploring Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, which Susan said was her daughter’s favorite place to visit. Susan said she thought of the gift as “a thank-you for all of Stacia’s hard work” for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

 Kids Wish Network provided the trip because the 12-year-old has cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening condition that requires daily treatments to keep the symptoms in check. The national organization grants wishes to children with life-threatening conditions, and they work with local organizations to raise money for sponsoring each gift.

According to a network wish coordinator, many area businesses and organizations contributed to help make Eckhardt’s trip possible: New Philadelphia Chapter 222 Order of Eastern Star, New Philadelphia Rotary, Mark’s Place Salon and Day Spa, Tuscarawas County Employees Dress Down Day, city of New Philadelphia – Clerical Unit, New Philadelphia Firefighters Local 1501, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1445 Carl C. Stoller Post and Bikers-N-Bears.

While Stacia wished for a trip to Orlando, her main goal has been to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Last March, she hosted her birthday party as a fundraiser for the foundation, asking for donations instead of gifts; and she participated in other fundraising events with a personal goal of raising $10,000. Her mother reported Stacia actually raised $30,000 through all of her efforts, and all of the money will help fund research.

“Thank you to everyone who helped. It was unbelievable,” Susan said.

The Times-Reporter
New Philadelphia, Ohio
Published: 08/16/10
Source:
http://www.timesreporter.com/news/x1351159465/Her-wish-comes-true

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Seven-year old Cade Bethel and his family traveled to Florida to see the theme parks in Orlando June 9-14. This special family vacation was made possible by the Kids Wish Network and some local Minerva sponsors.

In May 2008 Cade was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a life-threatening condition that affects every muscle in the body. Cade is unable to walk long distances and must use braces at night. Despite his daily struggles, Cade’s mom, Amanda Rudd, said that her son is outgoing, happy and loves life.

When Rudd’s brother told her about Kids Wish Network, a charity that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses, she decided she wanted to refer Cade. After filling out an application and speaking to a wish coordinator, Cade and his family were soon on their way to Florida.

Cade, his mom and his stepfather visited Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World. Meals, accommodations at the Royal Plaza Hotel, theme-park tickets, attractions and spending money were included in the wish.

“He had a lot of fun,” Rudd said. Cade’s favorite adventure took place in Disney’s Hollywood Studio, where he rode the Tower of Terror. When asked if the ride was as scary as the name suggested, the fearless little boy enthusiastically shook his head no.

Kids Wish Network partnered with several local sponsors to make Cade’s wish a reality. These sponsors included American Legion Post 548, American Legion Valley Post 375, Deputy Wes Elson, First Presbyterian Church, Carrollton Rotary Club, Minerva Area Federal Credit Union, Cross of Malta VFW Post 6730, VFW Post 4120. Other sponsors included the Royal Plaza Hotel, Pirates Dinner Theatre, the California Pizza Kitchen, Wonderworks, and Dollar Thrifty Automotive

The News Leader
Minerva, Ohio
Published: 08/04/10
Source:
http://www.tnl-news.com/news/article/4870917

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