What a week! We received so much awesome merchandise! Thank you so much to all of our “Guardian Angel” donors! Of course, it goes back out the door as fast as it comes in, but that’s the way it should be. It’s all about the kids!!!

Christina, a 15-year-old girl from Michigan, had always wanted to go parasailing since she was a little girl. National charity Kids Wish Network recently made her dream come true by sending her to Catalina Island where she parasailed with her family.

In March of 2008, Christina and her parents noticed that her smile appeared to be crooked. Upon visiting her doctor, Christina was immediately sent to the hospital for an MRI, and a golf ball-sized tumor was found between her brain and brain stem. She had surgery a few days later, which removed most of the tumor that had adhered to Christina’s Auditory Nerve. This resulted in hearing loss in her left ear, balance issues and permanent left side paralysis. Although the majority of the tumor was removed, there remains a strong likelihood that it will grow back; Christina receives an MRI every three months to ensure that no new growth has occurred.

Christina and her mother, Diane, were sitting at home just two days after her release from the hospital, when a professional fundraiser called from Kids Wish Network. When the fundraiser asked Diane if she knew of any children who were living with life threatening illnesses, she told Christina’s story.

“I think it was really divine intervention,” Diane said.

Kids Wish Network Wish Coordinator Jill contacted the family and got to work to find out what Christina’s number one wish would be. Christina decided that she wanted to go parasailing over the Pacific Ocean.

“I was trying to think of things I wouldn’t get the chance to do. Parasailing looked really fun and I always wanted to try it. I also wanted to see the Pacific Ocean,” Christina said.

With the help of wish funding specialist Megan, Jill worked to arrange the entire trip for Christina and her parents. A round-trip flight, limo ride, hotel stays, dinners, a ride on a high-speed catamaran, an eco-tour across Catalina Island, a Flying Fish boat ride, spa treatment and even a boogie boarding excursion were also included in Christina’s wish.

“It was so beyond our expectations. Everyone took such great care of us,” Diane said.

Christina said that her favorite part of the whole trip was the parasailing experience.

“It was so amazing. I felt like I was floating and I could see forever,” she said.

Diane said she was a little nervous about parasailing, but she got over it after a few minutes. For her, the best part was the Jeep Eco Tour that the family went on.

“It was so personal and not a lot of people could do it. The guide was an amazing man and had so much knowledge to share. We spent four hours on the tour and were 10 feet from a real live buffalo. We saw an endangered Island Fox, a Bald Eagle, a Golden Eagle and so much more. It was beautiful,” she said.

All-in-all, the family said that they had a wonderful time.

“Everything was absolutely perfect,” Diane said. “We had the most amazing time and we are so grateful for the experience.”

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Christina’s wish extra special: Catalina Island Conservancy, Flying Fish Boat Trip, Descanso Beach Club, Deanna Stone Bodyworks, Avalon Massage-Lavina Jones, Parasailing Catalina, Catalina-Marina Del Rey Flyer, Catalina Island Inn, Rits-Carlton Marina Del Rey, Steve’s Steakhouse, Landry’s Limousine, Armstrong’s Seafood Restaurant, Cheesecake Factory, Catalina Transportation Services Inc., Belle River Community Credit Union, Fraternal Order of Eagles #3702, Richmond Kiwanis Club, Richmond Moose Lodge #2575, New Image Dental, St. Augustine Church.

Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who may be in need of its wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004. For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit their website at www.kidswishnetwork.org

Wow, we just received 5 pallets of the most awesome games from USAopoly! We are going to reach a lot of kids with these really cool games. Monopoly sure ain’t what it was when I was a kid; they have a version for everything under the sun now. USAopoly ROCKS!!!

Ashley
Distribution Department

I have been working at Kids Wish Network for well over a year now, granting many wishes along the way. I almost feel selfish for the feeling that I get when I make the wish of one of my little cherubs come true. Seeing a little sparkle in the eye of a four –year-old as he hugs Goofy makes my day.

As I sit in my little office cubby, I am surrounded by reminders of the wonderful things that we do here at Kids Wish Network. Pictures, cards, letters and mementos from my wish children and families hang within arm’s reach: Dylan licking the frosting off of a piece of cake at a Disney dinner; Eli giggling and squirming as his favorite author, Jonathan London, reads him a Froggy story; Samantha smiling as the Laguna Beach sun sets behind her; Caleb proudly displaying his new XBOX- just to name a few… The one thing that these children all have in common is a smile. That’s the best part of being a Wish Coordinator- knowing that for a moment in time I played a small part in making these special children happy.

Jennifer
KWN Wish Coordinator

Omaha, Neb. – A 9-year-old girl who suffers from a life-threatening illness had her wish to visit Florida theme parks come true with the help of national charity Kids Wish Network.

When Savannah was just 6-months-old, she was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. The disease, which results in the clogging of the lungs and pancreas, causes breathing problems and stops the production of enzymes necessary for food breakdown. Savannah has to use a breathing vest and takes various medications including enzymes and inhalers.

A professional fundraiser made a call to Savannah’s grandmother, and asked if she knew of any children with a life-threatening illness. She provided the fundraiser with Savannah’s name. When a Kids Wish Network Wish Referral Specialist contacted Savannah’s mother Monica to see if her daughter qualified for a wish, she was excited about what the program offered.

“I was very excited and pleased that this was happening for her,” Monica said.

Kids Wish Network Wish Coordinator Vanessa and Wish Funding Specialist Doris helped set up the trip for Savannah, her mother, father and brother. A round-trip flight, tickets to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a four-night hotel stay at The Royal Plaza Hotel, a trip to Wonderworks, various dinners including dining arrangements at Olive Garden, The Pirates Dinner Theatre and Wolfgang Puck Cafe, and spending money were included in her wish.

“We had a great time. All the dinners were amazing and I was very happy with the way that everything turned out,” said Monica.

Monica said Savannah really enjoyed dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s and that her daughter loved the celebrity feeling of meeting the chef, and all the special things they did to make her day even better.

“The whole experience was great. We got to be together and do something we would not have been able to do financially. Kids Wish Network did a great job,” Monica said.

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Savannah’s wish extra special: The FOP Douglas County Lodge #2, Omaha State Troopers Association, American Legion Auxiliary 8 & 40 Club, Concerned Nebraskans for Cystic Fibrosis, The Royal Plaza Hotel, Pirates Dinner Theatre, Olive Garden, Wolfgang Puck Café and Wonderworks.

Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who may be in need of its wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004. For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit their website at www.kidswishnetwork.org

I can admit it. I used to have a HUGE fear of making phone calls. For some reason, I was intimidated by the voice on the other end of the line. I was scared to make important calls, even scared to order pizzas…

When I interviewed for the position here at Kids Wish Network, I wasn’t aware that I would be making as many phone calls as I do on a daily basis. And I am glad that I didn’t. If I had known the amount of time I would be spending on the phone each day, I would have never accepted the job, and I would have missed out on a really awesome experience, and the opportunity to face my fear and to conquer it.

Part of my job here requires me to call people all across the country for various reasons. I call potential wish families, families who are in the wish application process, doctors’ offices, hospitals, and social workers: all complete strangers who less than two months ago would have intimidated me to the point of no return. But now, with probably close to 1 thousand phone calls under my belt I find that my former fear of the phone has vanished, arming me with the ability to dial numbers without any apprehension.

I guess that my fear stemmed from the thought of speaking to someone who would yell at me, or making me feel stupid. I am certainly not the confrontational type, and I usually go out of my way to avoid a skirmish of any sort. Working at Kids Wish Network, I have found that probably 99.9 percent of the people I interact with during my daily phone calls are not only nice, but are genuinely pleased to speak with me. Having a friendly voice on the line is always a bright spot in anyone’s day, and even more so for an intimidated, recently graduated college student.

So here is a thank you to all the friendly voices out there who have given me the courage to conquer my fear and become victorious in dialing digits!

Elizabeth

Mark, some of our staff and I had fun delivering toys for St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. This was for their “Christmas in July” campaign. Those toys were to help put the smiles on the faces of many sick and injured children. I encourage anyone who wants to view this success story, please click here. This is what we love to do!!!!:)

Shelley Breiner

Writing press releases for Kids Wish Network is a lot of fun. I get to interview families who have just been able to see their child’s wish come true, and they are so grateful and happy for what was given to them.

I recently interviewed a mom whose daughter’s wish was to go on a dolphin swim in the Florida Keys. She said her daughter had a wonderful time, and had “squeals of delight” when the dolphin swam with her. She also said that her daughter felt so special because everywhere she went people knew her name and were generally interested in her.

It is always nice when I hear how happy these families are, and to know that I helped to make a difference in their lives. I love hearing all the wonderful things they have to say about the wish, and how thankful they are that they found Kids Wish Network.

~Elizabeth

Alpena, Mich. – A 7-year-old girl from Alpena had her wish granted to swim with dolphins thanks to the help of national charity Kids Wish Network.

Before her first birthday, Mariah was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and epilepsy. She has seizures on a daily basis, and relies on a walker or a wheelchair for mobility. Doctors are considering putting a pace maker into her chest to help control the frequency of her seizures.

When a professional fundraiser contacted Mariah’s mother Laurie and told her about Kids Wish Network and asked her if she knew of any children with life threatening illnesses, Laurie decided to refer her daughter. Together with the help of Wish Coordinator Vanessa and Wish Funding Specialist Megan, Mariah was soon on her way to Florida to see her wish come true.

Mariah’s swim took place at Theatre of the Sea in the Florida Keys. Laurie said that Mariah was so excited to be able to swim with the dolphins.

“She would rather be in the water than anywhere else,” said Laurie. “Watching Mariah with the dolphins and seeing how much she liked it was wonderful.”

Aside from setting up the family’s flight and swim, Kids Wish Network arranged for the family to stay at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, ride in the Key Largo Princess glass bottom boat, and dinner reservations were made at Outback Steakhouse, Key Largo Conch House and The Big Chill Restaurant.

“The meals were all wonderful. The last night at The Big Chill a man did balloon animals and Mariah loved watching him make them,” said Laurie. “And we got to sit out and look at the ocean while we ate our meal.”

Laurie said that everyone made Mariah feel so special. She said people kept coming up and asking her how she did.

“She loved it. She had squeals of delight. It worked well because we ended up with a dolphin that had done therapy and he just loved Mariah. He took her off on her own and pushed her feet right up on the shore,” said Laurie.

Laurie said that her experience with Kids Wish Network was wonderful and everyone made her and her family feel so comfortable.

“I think everybody had a wonderful time. I would tell anyone to refer their child to Kids Wish Network,” she said.

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Mariah’s wish come true: Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union, Dr. James T. Wolf, DDS, Fraternal Order of Police, Grace Lutheran Church, Moose Lodge #571, Outback Steakhouse, Theatre of the Sea, Key Largo Conch House, Alamo Car Rental, The Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo Princess Glass Bottom Boat and The Big Chill Restaurant.

Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. Aside from granting wishes, Kids Wish Network also has several other programs which benefit children’s care facilities. If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who may be in need of its wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004. For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit www.kidswishnetwork.org

I just got a phone call from a gentleman in TN. It was such a joy to speak with him about our Hero and Gift Bank programs! You could just hear the excitement in his voice and he couldn’t wait to join!! It really is a great feeling when you connect with other people across the country who enjoy doing the same thing you do – making one more child’s day just a little bit better!

What a nice Friday Morning Surprise! Barbara Askin and I just got a call from a wonderful van line company who want to donate their services to us by delivering 3 Gift Banks to hospitals in IL and KY. Thank you guys so much for your kindness and generosity. Joyce, you Rock! You have made our week!