Make-A-Wish Foundation: Wish Granter Training – Part 2

Location: Make-A-Wish Offices, Chicago

Date: Tuesday, March 12, 2013; 6:00-8:30 pm

“The folks at Make-A-Wish help create magical and wonderful moments, fulfilling the dreams of the sickest kids in ways no therapy can” – Pediatric Oncologist

"Never underestimate the power of a wish"

I had visited MAW offices once a week to drop of letters during my Macy’s 'Believe' Campaign days.  Two and a half months later, I arrived to find that they had moved.  It was just down the hall, but with my notorious habit of getting lost, for a moment I feared that I was in the wrong location.  The signs pointed me in the right direction and I arrived to find out that I was the first.  Megan, our trainer for the evening and a Program Manager at MAW, greeted me and said that most of what we would be discussing was a repetition of the online training material and this was an opportunity for us to ask questions.  I took my seat at the long table on which there was a spread of candy.  The evening was already off to a great start. 

The various participants started to arrive and there was a distinct theme to this – all of them were women.  One after the other they arrived had their picture taken for identity cards and sat at the table.  Very soon we were at capacity and I looked around me to find around 18 women and myself.  Now typically, getting an opportunity to spend an evening with such lovely ladies is akin to my wildest dreams coming true, but I was curious as to why men were not so keen on this program or was tonight just an anomaly.  Just as we were about to start, one guy did finally show up and our group was complete. 

Megan began by asking everyone to introduce themselves and the reason why they wanted to be a 'Wish Granter'.  Almost everyone in the room had a personal connection or a story; and for my part I said that being a part of MAW’s ‘Believe’ campaign with Macy’s had been the single greatest privilege of my life and I wanted to have a similar fulfilling experience.  But nothing compared to a woman who introduced herself as a former ‘Wish Mom’.  Her son had been a recipient of a wish a few years ago and MAW had turned his room into a music studio with all instruments and equipment.  Three years later he was still using it and she was here to pay back, for the joy MAW had brought into their life. 

“The wish was a Godsend. It gave him something to look forward to” - Mother of a Wish Child

Once the introductions were done, Megan began with the training.  True to what she had said earlier, this was a more interactive session with lots of opportunities for questions.  I was leading the charge with plenty of queries regarding the process.  To her credit, Megan answered all of them patiently, along with questions from the other participants.  Most of her time was spent on going over the paperwork requirement for the wishes.  We were realizing fast that being a Wish Granter involved a lot of administrative work and if one were to encounter a family where the parents were either separated or with one absentee parent, then it got even more complicated.  But there were plenty of rewarding opportunities as well. 

Once the ‘Wish Child’ is deemed eligible, it is totally up to the Wish Granters to make the child’s wish possible.  MAW works behind the scenes, but it’s the Wish Granters that are interacting with the family.  Within a week of receiving an assignment, the Wish Granter and their partner should contact the ‘Wish Family’ and schedule a visit.  Often times they may not reach the family, but one thing Wish Granters need to have in abundance is patience and persistence.  We were warned that the families are going through a lot and there would be frustrating times; but as a Wish Granters we were never to lose sight of what we were doing and why we were doing it.  Once we arrive at the family’s house or at the scheduled meeting place, our main job was to interview the child, for it is their wish and not the family’s.  We were asked to ‘get to the essence of a child’s wish’.  Often the child says something which may be very general and we were to dig deeper and find out what is their heart’s true desire.  There are certain wishes that cannot be granted and we were to make sure there is a back-up wish in case it is required.  Having said that, every effort is made to grant the child’s one true wish and if the wish is eligible, MAW will make it happen.  Even if that involves great costs and includes going to see Kangaroo’s in Australia.

I repeat.  If a wish is eligible, MAW will make it happen, no matter what.  It is a promise.

The most commonly requested wish is to go to Disney World, which classifies as a Travel Wish.  Usually they take some time, as do Celebrity Wishes, depending on their schedule.  In such a case, Wish Granters are required to keep the family engaged by providing what is termed as ‘Wish Enhancements’.  For example if a child is waiting to go to Disney World, we could give the family tickets to see ‘Disney On Ice’ or a new Disney movie.  All the enhancements need to be donated and Wish Granters are required to enable these things from a list of participating vendors and partners; as well as by asking friends and others who are keen to help.  Wish Granters can also work to ensure the family has a few nice surprises waiting for them when they arrive, such as a ‘Disney Princess’ greeting them.  We are giving the child a little more than just a wish; we are giving them an experience of a lifetime. 

“For one week, Make-A-Wish provided an exceptional opportunity for our family to be together, and for a little girl who has endured so much to be treated like the princess she is. We are forever grateful for the gift Make-A-Wish gave to our family and our daughter” – Parents of Wish Child

Another benefit of Disney World trip is that the wish family can stay at ‘Give Kids The World Village’.  This is a ‘Storybook’ resort in Central Florida where children with life threatening illnesses and their families are treated to a weeklong, cost-free fantasy vacation.  The story of its origins is one that once again proves what I have learned time and again, “Everywhere life is full of heroism”. As per their website:

Indeed

“The story of Give Kids The World begins with a little girl with a wish and the desire of one man to make that wish come true.The little girl's name was Amy. Amy had leukemia and one wish - to visit the theme parks in Orlando. To facilitate Amy's wish, the request of a complimentary stay was made to a respected hotelier. As he had done many times before, the hotelier gladly obliged and Amy's wish was that much closer to being realized. Sadly, the remainder of Amy's travel plans took too long to arrange and her wish was never granted; Amy had passed away. Time simply ran out.  This unfulfilled wish inspired a man, the hotelier, to make a vow that no child in need would ever be failed again. That man was Henri Landwirth and his desire to ensure that Amy's story would never repeat itself is where the story of Give Kids The World begins.”

Megan said that as great as the travel wishes can be, the most fulfilling wishes are non-travel ones, because the Wish Granters are actually present for the wish day.  She told a story of a young boy who shared an 8x10 room with his 3 brothers and had a simple wish of having his room redone.  One day while he was out the MAW team came in and created such an amazing room that the boy broke down in tears when he saw it and hugged each and every member of the wish granting team, including all the workers. Never underestimate the power of a wish.

After this, Megan separated us into teams of three and we were given a Wish Child Referral Form and asked to plan a wish.  My team had a boy who wanted to meet a celebrity chef.  From his referral form we would have never guessed that and this went to show how important it was to truly understand the ‘essence’ of the child’s wish.  Then Megan went around the room and asked us to discuss our respective cases and it was fantastic to listen to everyone’s wish stories and plans.  We were almost done but before we left, Megan told us that we should realize that some wishes, even a ‘rush wish’, may not have enough time to be fulfilled.  Even then it’s not a lost cause and as Wish Granters we have to go to the hospital and have a party which may be our way of saying goodbye.  Unfortunately this could be a reality we were signing up for and if we were unable to handle this, then perhaps we were not ready to be Wish Granters. 

The last thing we were required to do was sign a ‘Commitment Form’ through which we promised to grant at least three wishes in a year.  MAW will be concluding this season's training over the next two months, at which point I would be paired with a partner and given my first assignment.  This would be a new chapter in my life and I must admit that for a moment I was scared…of not being up to the challenge.  I wasn't sure if I was making the right decision.  But then I remembered another saying which MAW puts on all its promotional brochures - A testimonial of a Wish Child.  I had concluded my first blog with a statement of introduction.  Now I had something new to add, more than any degree or current and future accomplishments of my career.  If I could succeed in granting one wish, for the rest of my life if anyone ever asks me what I do; I can proudly say, “I am a Wish Granter”.

“I would like to tell people that one of the greatest things you can do for a child is to grant a wish when their life seems to have so little happiness. The Make-A-Wish Foundation makes this possible” - Wish Child.