Thursday, August 06, 2009

Kids Wish Network

I received a call yesterday from a coordinator at Kids Wish Network telling me that Anthony will have a wish granted. This organization is similar to Make-a-Wish, but I have heard more complimentary things about Kids Wish than Make-a-Wish. I nominated Anthony for a wish a few months ago, when our transplant hospital reminded me that now is a pretty good time for him to wish for something - he's still young enough for it to be magical, but old enough to enjoy the wish and understand why he's getting a wish.

And for those of you who don't get it, here it is: these organizations are not just for kids who have terminal illnesses. And Anthony did have a life-threatening illness and transplant isn't a "cure" per se, but rather trading one set of medical issues for another. Granted, the set of medical issues we traded pre-transplant were much more serious than the issues post-transplant! These organizations are here to recognize children that have been through more than a "normal" child has; they want to let the child know that they understand that they have been brave and that someone is proud of them (someone other than family - and it's always nice to be recognized like that!).

So, on to Anthony's wish. When I was filling out our portion of the paper work, the organization asked me to list three things that Anthony would wish for. I talked to him about it, over and over, and he always came back with, "I want to see dinosaur bones." So we put that as number 1, and listed a trip to Disney World and a fort for the backyard as numbers 2 and 3.

When I spoke with our wish coordinator yesterday, she asked me to give her 5 adjectives that describe Anthony. In no particular order, I told her: energetic, talkative, excitable, loving, and talkative. She spoke with Anthony to ask him about some of his favorite things, and then asked him, "If you go anywhere, to do anything, what would you do?"

His answer?

"I would go back to the time of dinosaurs to live with them."

Coordinator: "Wow! How would you do that?"

Anthony: "I'd build a time machine, of course!"

And so that's how we're headed to Washington, DC in October to go to the Smithsonian to see dinosaur bones. No time machine necessary.

3 comments:

cheri said...

This gave me chills reading it! When do you go?

Lacey said...

Congrats for Anthony...my sister got a wish through Make a Wish when she had leukemia...we went to Disney World. :) Hope you guys have fun.

Amanda said...

That's great! You will have SO much fun! :o)

Yesterday I gave your email address to the mom of a child with Biliary Atresia...not sure if/when she will contact you, but wanted to give you a "heads up". I was not her baby's nurse, but I think the mom's name is Crystal. I knew you wouldn't mind me "using" you as a resource ;o)

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!
:o) Amanda