When Haley was born, she showed no brain activity and was kept in the hospital for three months. During that time, Haley was diagnosed with a rare condition, Progressive Basilar Invagination of the Spine. This condition causes the spine to calcify, effectively “strangling” the brainstem. Because of her condition, Haley has endured eight surgeries to the base of her skull and to the top of her spine to relieve the extreme pressure that builds up in her skull by chipping away at the bones in the area.

Due to the condition of her spine, Haley’s head movement is limited and required her to wear a halo device in order to keep her head straight; she was just recently able to remove the device. In addition, Haley also suffers from Spina Bifida, a birth defect in which the spinal column fails to close completely before birth, often resulting in paralysis. Because of this, Haley has no feeling in her legs, is confined to a wheelchair and must wear leg braces to straighten and stretch her legs.

While talking to a Kids Wish Network professional fundraiser, Haley’s grandmother mentioned the struggles her granddaughter has suffered through since her birth. The caller made note of Haley’s name and referred her to national children’s charity Kids Wish Network so that she might have a wish granted. The professionals at Kids Wish Network followed through and it wasn’t long before Haley was telling a Wish Coordinator that she wanted to see Disney World.

When asked why her daughter picked Disney World for her wish, Haley’s mother, Michelle, laughed and said, “She just absolutely loves Disney—Mickey Mouse, Minnie…everything about it, she loves. It’s just what she wanted.”

 According to Michelle, from the start of the trip to coming home from Disney World, everything was wonderful for Haley and their entire family. While in Orlando, the family stayed at the Royal Plaza Hotel and enjoyed dinners every evening, thanks to the planning of Haley’s Wish Coordinator and the generosity of the sponsors.

During their four day stay in the Sunshine State, Haley and her family visited every park Haley had hoped to, including Universal Studios and Islands of Adventures, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom.

 “It was all amazing,” said Michelle. “It was such a nice break from reality. The characters and staff everywhere, at the parks and at the restaurants, treated us like royalty. It was such a wonderful trip.”

Though everything was exciting for Haley, her biggest thrill came from meeting her favorite characters in person, including Mickey Mouse, the Disney princesses, the characters from Toy Story, Barney, Scooby Doo and Shaggy.

“Everything we did was amazing,” said Michelle of the trip. “The Monday before we left, we were in the emergency room because Haley was having head pain. It has just been such a hard time for us. This was a well-needed break. She (Haley) had the time of her life.”

Tomball Magnolia Tribune
Tomball, Texas
Published: 06/22/10
Source:

http://www.tribunenews.com/news/local-news/1178-tomball-girl-with-rare-disorder-gets-disney-world-wish-granted.html

Brianna suffers from congenital heart disease. She was diagnosed with this life-threatening condition the day she was born. She has had numerous surgeries, her first when she was just 1 week old, including four heart catheterizations. More surgeries lie ahead.

Kids Wish Network’s mission is to infuse hope, create happy memories and improve the quality of life for children. The agency has served more than 73,000 children this year. Kids Wish Network is based in Holiday, Fla.

Brianna’s father, Michael Bean, said he initially heard about Kids Wish Network through his mailman who has a nephew who had a wish granted through Kids Wish Network. He said that his family had a great time on the wish trip.

The family stayed at the Royal Plaza Hotel in Orlando. Kids Wish Network and other sponsors set up dining arrangements.

“Without the businesses that gave us dinner and the hotel we would have never been able to do this,” Michael Bean said.

Though her wish trip is over, Michael Bean said it has left an impact on Brianna.

“It’s been a week and she is still talking about it,” he said. “Her wish definitely came true.”

The Courier
Findlay, Ohio
Published: 3/16/10
Source:
 http://thecourier.com/family/2010/Mar/16/ar_fam_031610_story4.asp?d=031610_story4,2010,Mar,16&c=fam

It wasn’t until her grandmother referred Keagan to Kids Wish Network that Natalie thought her son could possibly have a wish granted. But before long, Natalie was on the phone with a Kids Wish Network Wish Coordinator making plans for Keagan’s wish.

“I think we made a list up and we talked about all the characters that would be there [at the theme parks],” Natalie said. “He wanted to meet Mickey for his wish and he likes the characters and that’s how he decided.”

Kids Wish Network set up all the arrangements for Keagan’s wish. The entire wish trip was paid for, including round-trip flights for Keagan and his parents, meals, a hotel stay at the beautiful Royal Plaza, theme park tickets, a rental car and even spending money was included in Keagan’s wish. Natalie said the whole wish trip was amazing.

“It was all great. Everything that we did I could tell that it was all really planned out and organized,” she said.

While in Florida for the wish trip, the family visited The Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Natalie said Keagan liked Magic Kingdom the best and really enjoyed the shows they attended.

“We went to a Finding Nemo and Lion King show and he had a lot of fun. They got him involved with the Lion King show and took him out on stage in his stroller and he had the biggest smile,” she said.

Natalie said Keagan also enjoyed the meal provided at The Pirates Dinner Theater. The actors took pictures with Keagan after the show and made him feel special.

“He keeps on saying when he grows up he wants to be a pirate,” she said.

While Keagan enjoyed the sights and characters on his wish, the experience with Kids Wish Network meant something more to Natalie.

“To tell you the truth I didn’t know how he would react on his wish with all the excitement and I think my favorite part was seeing him smile so much. That was really great,” she said. “It was a really great experience.”

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Keagan’s wish extra special: Greenville FOE #4321, Wyoming Moose Lodge #763, Royal Plaza, Wonderworks, Compassion Partners, Pirates Dinner Adventure, Backyard Burgers, Buca di Beppo

Vee 2
Atlanta, Georgia
Published: 03/08/10
Source:

http://www.vee2.net/world-news/47-world-news/4620-kids-wish-network.html

Miguel Cabrera is a 6-year-old boy from Downey who was admitted to Kaiser Permanente with red, bloody blisters covering his body. He was originally thought to have Kawasaki’s disease, but the prognosis turned out to be Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome, an extremely rare condition which originates with flu-like symptoms and results in red blisters which cover your body and cause the top layer of the skin to die and shed.

The blisters were so severe that they developed in Miguel’s eyes and he temporarily lost his vision. Despite all the pain and hospitalization, Miguel’s mother said his condition is improving.

“He is doing better but he’s still in the healing process,” said Miguel’s mom, Norma. “Doctors said sometimes it takes a full year for recovery. My son endured a lot of pain. I will never forget the day he told me he didn’t want to die. It broke my heart into a million pieces.”

The staff at Kaiser Permanente in Bellflower decided to nominate Miguel as the Hero of the Month for his strength and courage.

“We wanted to choose him because what he went through was very difficult especially for a six year old,” said Miguel’s child life specialist at Kaiser. “He was better than an adult would be considering what he’s gone through. The whole family was amazing.”

The Kids Wish Network Hero of the Month program honors children aged 3-18 who have overcome a difficult or traumatic event and shown great courage in doing so. The recipients of the award are given a T-shirt, certificate and gift card valued between $200 and $500 depending on their age.

“It was such a joy to see our son overwhelmed with happiness. He is happy to know he is considered a Hero,” said Norma. “Miguel loves his award. He is so happy.”

Miguel’s gift card was valued at $200. Norma said that he hasn’t spent it yet, but is looking forward to doing so.

She said he keeps asking his family what they would like him to buy for them.

The Downey Patriot
Downey, California
Published: 02/12/10
Source:

http://www.thedowneypatriot.com/view/full_story/6072448/article-Sick-Downey-boy-honored-for-courage

Although she didn’t see one in person, Jeffretta, now a Jefferson Davis High School junior, did get to see where the stars live when she and her family visited California late last month.

The trip to Disneyland and other tourist attractions near Hollywood was made possible through Kids Wish Network and the help of local agencies and groups.

Florida-based Kids Wish Network grants wishes to children ages 3 to 18 with life-threatening conditions, who never have had a wish granted before through any organization and who can communicate, by any means, their wish, coordinator Jill Atchison said.

Jeffretta was diagnosed with focal segmental glomulersclerosis, which causes severe scarring of the kidneys’ filtering system. In Jeffretta’s case, the disease affects both kidneys.

Although she has not had a kidney transplant yet, doctors have told her one is inevitable.

Jeffretta currently is taking 12 different medications to help control the disease, and her mother, Musette Hankins, said her daughter is doing well.

But Hankins thought a change of scenery would help her 16-year-old daughter cope better, so she contacted Kids Wish Network.

“She has just been through so much with being sick,” her mother said. “She deserves to get away.”

And get away she did. Her family, including her mother, father, three sisters and brother, spent five days in Hollywood and Anaheim, Calif.

Along with Disneyland, they visited Universal Studios, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds of Hollywood wax museum.

“It was a lot of fun,” Jeffretta said. “We did a lot of things. My favorites were going to Disneyland and the walk of fame.”

Her mother had fun on the trip, too, but what she’s enjoyed most has been seeing a change in her daughter since they returned to Montgomery.

“My thing is before we went on the trip, she stayed in her room and didn’t want to go anywhere,” she said. Her mother said she has been going out more often now.

The trip gave Jeffretta and her family a chance to clear their heads, Hankins said.

“This gave her the uplift that she needed,” she said.

Montgomery Advertiser
Montgomery, Alabama
Published: 02/12/10
Source:

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20100212/NEWS01/2120315/Groups+come+together+to+grant+Montgomery+teen+s+wish

In the summer of 2009, Bastian was diagnosed with having Hereditary Spherocytosis, which is a disorder of the red blood cells. The disease caused him to have a drastically low red blood cell count which required a complete blood transfusion. In addition, Bastian suffered through a surgery to remove his spleen. Because of his condition, Bastian’s immune system is dangerously weak and he is on a rigorous daily medication regimen.

Bastian’s mother, Deborah Bastian, said that while her son had been sick for several years, determining the cause of the illness continually alluded the boy’s doctors until last summer. “He was walking around one weak, sick little boy for all those years and we didn’t know.”

She said that following local blood tests last year, it was initially thought that the boy had leukemia and was rushed to Denver Children’s Hospital. Once there, it was determined that Bastian suffered from the rare hereditary disease and the child was taken into surgery to have his spleen removed.

“Denver  Children’s Hospital is a wonderful place and they are there for those children and you could not ask for a better place.  It is really a blessing,” said Deborah Bastian.

“Bobby is very overwhelmed by the gratitude and the giving that he has received from the foundation and is really appreciative of the things he has received,” said the boy’s mother.

Bastian said her child, who is a big fan of science, asked for a laptop and internet connectivity so he could focus on his school work. “That was his main goal, to get back and feeling better so he could get his science work done. He’s a really excited child.”

In addition to having his wish granted for a laptop, Bastian has decided to give back to others who are suffering. He has been saving money to purchase a toy to give to Children’s Hospital.

Kids Wish Network is a 501 C 3 non-profit organization dedicated to granting the wishes of children between the ages of 3 and 18 who are living with life threatening illnesses.  Its mission is to fulfill the last wishes of children who may never have the opportunities that most people take for granted.

Lamar Ledger
Wiley, Colorado
Published: 02/10/10
Source:
http://www.lamarledger.com/ci_14372989

The wish families tell me how their wishes went, how they liked their gift boxes and what they thought about the application process and their coordinator. Overall, everyone is very pleased with their wishes and I have a huge list of complimentary things said about each wish coordinator. To help you visualize, I just want to let you know that I have never seen such an interesting and varied array of hand drawn smiley faces.

The gift bank surveys come from hospitals and facilities that have just received one of our prized Holiday of Hope gift banks. They tell us what they liked best about the toys and items they recieved, what we could do to make gift banks better and what time of year is best for them to recieve a gift bank.  These gift banks are well-recieved and everyone is very grateful to get so many items to give to the kids in their care.

Both types of Hero surveys are similar in that they ask the recipients and nominators how they liked the experience and if there was anything we could have done to make the experience better. You know what’s funny? When I read these surveys, I usually see only one word answers for the question that asks “Was there anything that Kids Wish Network or your hospital could have done differently or better?” You want to know what that answer is? It is simply ‘no.’

It certainly makes me smile when I get all these surveys back. You can actually read some quotes that I’ve pulled from them as well, so you can see for yourself how happy these kids are once we’ve helped them. All you have to do is go on our website and read through some of the testimonials for each program. The majority of these are pulled from surveys, while the rest are pulled from thank you letters. Check it out!

~Alicia
Editorial Department

Williams’ holiday trip was sponsored by the Kids Wish Network, a non-profit organization that offers wish granting for children and adolescents with a life-threatening illness. He was diagnosed with Eswing’s sarcoma in late 2008 and has been in remission since late 2009.

His journey began when he was a junior at Panther Valley High School. He experienced several leg injuries while playing sports, but didn’t think his injuries were severe enough to see a doctor.

“I had gotten a few injuries from sports. I didn’t treat them, and they slowly got worse,” he said.

It wasn’t until Williams tore his calf in cross country that he finally sought treatment. His physical therapist noticed a lump in his calf, and encouraged him to get it checked out.

Williams visited a doctor in Lancaster for tests before being referred to an oncologist at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown.

“It turned out that I had cancer,” said Williams. He was just starting his senior year at Panther Valley High School.

He was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a cancer of the bones and soft tissue, in October 2008. Williams would undergo nearly 9 months of treatment, including 14 rounds of chemotherapy and 25 days of radiation. He completed treatment in August 2009.

During this time, Williams spent some time in the hospital but was mostly homebound. He went to school occasionally when his health and energy allowed, and was touched by the support and care shown by his teachers and friends at Panther Valley.

“I had a lot of teachers who helped me out. Panther Valley was very supportive,” said Williams. Still, he looked forward to the end of treatments so that his life could return to normal. “I couldn’t wait for this to be over,” he added.

While in the hospital, a social worker approached him about the Kids Wish Network. He was a bit hesitant at first, afraid that he was too old for the program. He finally agreed to call them.

The Kids Wish Network receives many requests for trips to Disney World or other theme parks. Other children ask to meet a celebrity or go on a shopping spree. But Williams had a different idea – he wanted to visit his brother in California. Because his brother lives with his father, they rarely get to see each other.

“They thought it was a great idea – they hadn’t sent someone to California before,” he said. Wish coordinators and local sponsors quickly set up an itinerary of events for the three-week trip over the holidays, including a 2-mile gondola ride up the Sierra Mountain range, a helicopter tour of Lake Tahoe, and a visit to the Sacramento Zoo.

Williams’ favorite part of the trip was a visit to the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, where he and his brother watched an NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. The brothers were treated to a limo ride to and from the stadium.

“The Lakers are my favorite basketball team,” he said. “It was a good game. They won in double overtime.”

Williams also provided his own form of entertainment, bringing along his Play Station to share with his brother during downtime. While he enjoyed all of the activities provided by his wish coordinators, each day was made special because it was spent with his brother.

“He’s one of the coolest people I’ve ever met, and one of the smartest kids I know,” said Williams.

Now back in Lansford, Williams is adjusting to a new job with the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps and taking life one day at time. He is currently in remission but must visit his doctors often to ensure that his cancer has not returned. These visits frustrate Williams, who wants to move on and live a normal life. He spent much of his senior year in hospitals and doctors’ offices.

“Every two weeks, I would go to the hospital for 3 to 5 days,” he said. “I hate hospitals.”

Still, he counts his blessings and realizes that he is a lucky person. He’s taken the best from a bad situation and now realizes that his friends, family and community will be there to support him during times of need.

“I would like to thank my friends and family, the people from Kids Wish Network, Lehigh Valley Pediatric Oncology, and the Panther Valley School District,” he said. “I didn’t realize that a community could be brought together through one cause. It surprised me. I am very grateful.”

William’s wish was made possible by individual and business donations, including: American Legion Post 123, Choice 1 Federal Credit Union, Fraternal Order of Orioles Nest 183, Hills Machine Shop Inc., Krajcirik Automotive, Jim Thorpe National Bank, Valley Athletic Supply, All Phase Masonry, Silberline MFG Inc., ARCO Arena, Elite Limousine of Sacramento, Park Tahoe Inn, Heavenly Mountain Resort, HeliTahoe, Riva Grill on the Lake, Suspects Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre, Borges Sleigh Rides, Hard Rock Café Lake Tahoe, Original Mels Diner, Hornblower Cruises & Events, Sacramento Zoo and the California State Military Museum.

Times News Online
Lehighton, PA
Published: 02/08/10
Source:

http://www.tnonline.com/node/69500

When Marissa was born she was diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a severe chronic lung disease. The illness causes serious respiratory problems for her and can mean a trip to the intensive care unit if she gets sick with something as simple as a cold. Karmen said Marissa has been hospitalized six or seven times in her four years and was recently diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency.

Despite having a life-threatening illness, Marissa is like any four-year-old. She currently attends HeadStart at Ella White.

“On a normal day for her, she is a normal four year old, except for size-wise,” Karmen said, noting Marissa is the height of an 18-month-old and the weight of an 11-month old. “Other than that, she can do just about whatever a normal four-year-old can do. If she can’t, she’ll figure out a way to do it.”

Marissa chose to go to Disney World because every time she would see a Disney commercial with the castle and fireworks she would say she wanted to go, according to Karmen. Although she got to see Cinderella’s castle and the fireworks, “The rides!” as Marissa exclaimed, was her favorite part of the trip. Marissa kept wanting to ride Dumbo the Elephant, which she was able to make go up and down and on the carousel which was next to it.

While at the Magic Kingdom, Marissa was able to meet and get autographs from some Disney’s most popular characters including Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Pooh and Tigger. She also fed the dolphins and stingrays when her group spent the day at SeaWorld.

“It was awesome,” Karmen said of the trip. “People were really friendly; all of the characters were really good with (Marissa) and Hailey.”

Karmen was first contacted by Kids Wish Network in the spring of 2009 and learned Marissa was eligible for a wish. After submitting paperwork documenting her daughter’s illness, a wish trip coordinator was assigned and travel arrangements were made. Plans for the trip came together quicker than anticipated, with an initial trip date falling around Karmen’s ninth month of pregnancy with Hailey. The trip was postponed until this month, when the baby turned six months old.

“They were really gracious to work around my schedule,” she said, thanking the organization for making the trip possible.

The Alpena News
Alpena, Michigan
Published: 01/26/10
Source:

http://www.thealpenanews.com/page/content.detail/id/507807.html?nav=5004

Having been born and raised here in Florida, I’m more familiar with these parks than I am this office building! (Or so it seems!) When I talk to these parents and kids, they tell me what rides they went on and what shows they saw and I can just visualize it as I write it all down to add into the release.

It’s really something to hear so many different view points for a handful of places that I’ve visited many times myself. When you’re there, you’re stuck in your own happy place and you forget that there are thousands on thousands of other people seeing the same sights and enjoying the same thrilling experiences as you, but with their own unique views.  You see, the next time I visit there, I will see places and rides and think about the Wish Kids and their families who told me of their experiences there. I may even see a Wish Kid or two!

Alicia
Editorial Department