Make-A-Wish: Comer Children's Hospital Oncology Summer Picnic

Location: University of Chicago

Date: Sunday, July 21, 2013; 11:15 am-3:15 pm

“I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability.  My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.” – The Hippocratic Oath

One of the most fulfilling experiences of my volunteering career had been being able to attend the Thanksgiving Party at UIC Medical Center last year, representing the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  A similar opportunity was being presented with this summer picnic for ‘Comer Children’s Hospital Oncology’ summer picnic, being held at University Of Chicago’s campus.  I had wasted little time in signing-up and received an email from Mary-Kate, our MAW coordinator, who said that this was going to be a beach themed party and we would be doing three related Arts & Crafts projects with the kids.  As with the other party, we were told that since some of the children have reduced immunity, we were not to come if we were sick.  I was feeling as good as I could, and so took the Green Line CTA to the very end of the line and walked over to the address given to us. 

Our Welcome sign

As I entered the building, the guard told me to follow the beach balls and I would eventually find where I was headed. What he was referring to were beach ball stickers that were on the floor and leading me down a long hallway.  I followed them till I reached a central courtyard which had a big tent which had lots of party decorations.  The door leading to the courtyard had a sign welcoming MAW and other organizations that were going to be a part of the festivities this afternoon, including the volunteer’s names - talk about attention to detail!  Amy, the hospital organizer checked me in, signing the usual confidentiality agreement, and said that Oscar the magician was already here.  A magician…well, now it was a party for sure. 

The courtyard was nestled between the hospital buildings and was a quiet and serene place...other than the blustering wind.  Beyond the giant tent, where the tables had been arranged for the families, there was an open area amongst the trees, where various stations had been set for activities.  MAW had one such activity booth and I saw that a gentleman was already there.  I thought he was one of my fellow volunteers, but soon learned that he was in fact Oscar the magician – quite unlike what I had expected.  Our first task was putting on the table cloth and then wrapping a MAW sign around a nearby tree, which all made difficult by the wind.  We were soon joined by our fellow MAW team, Mary-Kate, Lena - who are both interns with MAW - and Bridget, who was also a 'Wish Granter'.

The 3 projects

We were going to be making 3 fish related props, including a tie-dye jelly fish with coffee filters, a fish using clips as its jaws, and a fish on a paper plate, which could be decorated and trimmed.  We decided to make some samples, so as to advertise what we were doing and I started on the tie-dye jelly fish.  It was quite simple, with us decorating two coffee filters, spraying with water to allow the colors to spread, stapling them together after stuffing a colored tissue paper between and then attaching colored streamers to resemble the long tentacles of a jelly fish.  I had just finished one when the kids started arriving and one of our earlier visitors was a spunky little girl who loved to chat.  She entertained us with her enthusiasm and general comments and said that she wanted to make a clip-fish for her brother, who was undergoing treatment at the hospital.  She pointed out her brother and I immediately adored her for her feistiness as well as her obvious love for him.  Other kids were coming as well, most of them wanting to make the jelly fish, since it definitely looked the coolest.  Across from us was the tattoo and body art booth and having done something similar less than 24 hours ago, I knew how popular it would be.  All the kids made a beeline towards them and they then came to us with their faces and arms painted and eager to show-off.  Two brothers came together, one with his entire arm painted in tiger stripes and the other with a Spider-man face.  The MAW volunteers at my table were brilliant with the kids and everyone seemed to be having fun. 

Our table was busy

Oscar had been working the crowd, walking over to various tables inside the tent and entertaining them with his tricks.  He came over during a particular stretch of down time and enthralled us with some slight-of-hand tricks with rings, coins and notes.  I love magic and cannot get enough of it.  There was a time when I used to attend a magic show on first Wednesday of every month and during one such visit, I was interviewed for a student film where they asked me about the show.  I had said that I never want to know how the trick was done, because I still wanted to keep within me that sense of wonder and amazement.  So while my fellow volunteers wanted Oscar to let them in on the secret, I could care less, and I thought he was fantastic. 

And so was the rest of the party

Besides Oscar, the other most popular guy was the DJ, who was rocking the house.  He started by leading a ‘Freeze Dance’ competition in which all kids participated with a gusto. We all were enjoying watching it, especially as it got close towards the end between the spunky girl who had visited us earlier, and a little boy who ended up winning.  If she was disappointed, she did not show it and was now a part of a ‘Shuffle Dance’ thing, once again led by the DJ who had every child following his every move.  The kids were having a blast, meaning their parents and guardians were too.  The DJ then announced that it was time for ‘Sock The Doc’ competition and was looking for one particular gentleman who apparently was the head doctor of this children’s hospital.  I had no idea what this activity meant and I saw a middle-aged gentleman run around in a mock way and try to hide behind a tree.  He then joined the group to great applause and I went over to see what the big deal was.  The idea was for him to don swimming glasses and put his head through a cardboard cutout while the kids lined up on the other side with a wet sponge, trying to hurl it and hit him in the face.  Judging by the line, it seemed like every kid wanted to have a go at him and cheered on by the parents, other doctors, nurses and the DJ, they had their moment. Some of the younger ones were missing the target - leading to a friendly taunt from the doc - but some of the others got him squarely in the mug. This went on for several rounds, with the kids taking several shots and the doc's face was soaked at the end. If we thought this was the end, we had other thing coming. He was replaced by the next doctor, followed by another one and the next. In fact every single doctor and nurse had signed up to participate and no matter how long it took, they each took their licks.

"Sock The Doc"

Fortunately for me, hospital visits have not been a major part of my life and I have not had many interactions with doctors. So I do not know what kind of dynamic usually exists between doctors and their patients. But nothing that I had seen or heard compared to what I saw this afternoon. In one of the most selfless acts that I have had the privilege to witness, all of the staff threw themselves into this activity and in doing so made the entire group of kids immensely happy. Plus, it did not stop there. I saw several families come in with sick children. And I saw them hug the doctors and nurses. And I saw tears and words of comfort being exchanged. On a unusually windy summers afternoon, nothing else could have been as heartwarming as seeing this bond between these people, and also between the different families who must have grown used to seeing each other during the frequent ER and other treatment visits.

We had been told during our training that patience with the 'Wish Families' was going to have to be our biggest virtue, since these families were going through a lot. I saw a lady break down in arms of another while their kids made jelly fish at our table. I cannot even begin to imagine what they must be dealing with. But the doctors and nurses know. And to them these are not just numbers or problems to be solved. Each doctor has taken the Hippocratic Oath and I saw them abide by the excerpt I have at the beginning. And the families know that about this staff. They truly are their heroes, for as one other sentence in the oath says - while science and medicine are important, nothing should outweigh their warmth, sympathy and understanding for the patients. We are often told doctors - even us as 'Wish Granters' - should not get too deeply attached, as it can lead to heartbreak and sadness. But how can you not get involved when these kids are concerned. As we wrapped up and left for the day, I knew how important our visit here had been. For a short time this one afternoon, the four of us, and the other groups, and Oscar, and the DJ and more importantly, the hospital staff, had brought smiles to the faces of these children and their families...something that no amount of money can buy.

MAW is about believing with all your heart that your one true wish can come true. One of the great movies of our time is 'The Field Of Dreams', about a similar belief that sets into motion miraculous events that one shouldn't even begin to explain. Burt Lancaster plays Dr. Archibald Graham, who sacrificed a promising baseball career to become a doctor - someone who goes on to serve a grateful community for years. Towards the end Kevin Costner's Ray Kinsella says to him regarding his missed opportunity to be a big league player,

"Fifty years ago, for five minutes you came within...y-you came this close. It would kill some men to get so close to their dream and not touch it. God, they'd consider it a tragedy"

Burt Lancaster looks at him with a twinkle in his eye and smiles before responding,

"Son, if I'd gotten to be a doctor for five minutes...now that would have been a tragedy."