Location: Online
Date: Saturday, March 9, 2013; 2:00-4:30 pm
“I Wish to Be a Police Officer”
It started back in 1980 with
this simple wish made by a seven year old boy in Phoenix Arizona, who was being
treated for leukemia. A US customs
officer who had befriended him and dozens of other people decided to present the
boy with an experience which was priceless.
A day which included police cruisers, custom made uniform, the child
being sworn in as a policeman and the police department going above and beyond
to ensure he became a part of their team.
They presented him with his wings in his hospital room at which his face
lit up with joy as never before. The
next day, he was gone; but only after having lived a lifetime through the
efforts of a community which showed how important power of a single wish could
be. The boy’s mother and all the
volunteers decided that every child in a similar situation deserved to have
their wish fulfilled and this gave birth to the world’s largest wish granting
organization.
“I Wish to Have a Shopping Spree”
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| Going to Disney World: Most common request |
Make-A-Wish Foundations Mission
is ‘To grant wishes for children 2½ to 18
years old with life threatening medical conditions to enrich the human
experience with hope, strength and joy’.
With over 225,000 wishes granted since 1980, that amounts a wish every
40 minutes. This is made possible
through 62 chapters in the US and its territories, and many international
affiliates. But more importantly, this
is made possible due to the tireless dedication and devotion of nearly 25,000
volunteers.
“I Wish to Hold Baby Animals at the Zoo”
While I had participated as a
volunteer for various events, the most impact one can have is as a ‘Wish Granter’. This is the person who is responsible for
giving the child the most amazing experience of their life. I had decided back during my Macy’s Believe
Campaign days that I wanted to do this, but was waiting for the appropriate
training session. I had signed up for
in-person training on March 12th, but before I could do that, I had
to attend a two hour on-line training course, followed by a quiz. I returned from my project at Henderson, and
settled down in the business center at my apartment for the training.
“I Wish to Meet The Horse Whisperer”
A wish not only fulfills a
child’s dream, it gives the child strength and keeps hope alive. There are four main wish categories: (1) “I Wish to Go…”, (2) “I Wish to Have…”,
(3) “I Wish to Meet…” and (4) "I Wish to Be...”
While every effort is made to grant a wish, there are some wishes
which cannot be fulfilled, for example wishes for housing or firearms or cash
or medical treatment. The most
frequently requested wish is to go to "I
Wish to Go to Disney World", with over half the wishes being for the
same. Recently another type of wish is
becoming popular, “I Wish to Give”.
“I Wish to Have My Church Youth Group Room Redone”
The process starts with a
referral, which can happen through a medical professional, a parent or
guardian, or a potential wish child. Once
child is deemed eligible, the wish granters visit the child’s home to determine
the child’s one true wish. It is
absolutely crucial that the child determine what their wish is. After this, the treating physician makes the
final determination if the wish can be granted and then the wish granters work
with the staff to plan the wish and give the child and their family an
unforgettable and magical experience.
“I Wish to Be a Ballerina”
The wish granters work in pairs
for at least a year and are required to grant at least three wishes. In case of wishes that take a long time, such
as meeting a celebrity, or those that are on hold; wish granters are required
to keep the family engaged. It is truly
an immersive experience where the commitment has to be 100%. In some cases when time is short, the wish is
categorized as ‘Rush Wish’ and wish granters have to work in overdrive to
fulfill within a month.
“I Wish to Visit My Grandmother in Alabama”
I finished the training and gave
the quiz and…I failed. I was required to
get 80% and I got 79.6%. In my defense,
some of the questions were a bit tough and memory related. I got a bit annoyed with myself and gave the
test again, this time scoring a perfect 100%.
“I Wish to Swim with the Dolphins”
I had learned a lot over my two
plus hours of training. And I had a
strange feeling, one where I was excited to be a part of this great
institution, but at the same time aware of my huge responsibility…aware of what
I was signing up to do. I also had a lot
of questions, which I knew would be answered during my in-person training. But above all I knew that once I committed to
this, my life as I knew it may never be the same.
“I Wish....(to be determined)"
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