Today I received a survey from one of our facilities regarding the pallet of toys we sent to them. After rating the program a “5” (out of 5), this is what the facility had to say:

“The other day a little girl (age 4) who had been in for a full abuse assessment, including a comprehensive medical exam, told her mom, or rather insisted that her mom take her to “the doctor”. Her mom was confused until the little girl described the building. The mom called to ask if it was OK, which of course it was, and the little girl came and played in the kids’ waiting room. Your generous gift of toys makes it possible for us to offer not only a safe, welcoming environment, but a place kids want to be. Thank you!”

It’s responses like these that makes the long days worth while! Good job KWN!!

Margo
HOTM Facility Coordinator

I love when people ask me how much of their donation goes towards the wishes; it’s the question I enjoy answering the most!!

I always tell people that KWN’s Guardian Angel Fund is one of the things that sets Kids Wish apart from other charities — and it’s wonderful to be able to say, with confidence that 100% of the donation from our sponsors goes towards fulfilling a wish for a very special child. That means if you send in $223.65 then $223.65 goes into the Guardian Angel Fund to fulfill children’s wishes. Oh yea, I love their reactions when I say that. It’s usually like, “WOW you never hear that nowadays,” or “that’s very impressive.” Yea, it’s definitely one of the questions I love to answer!

Megan
Development Department

Our Kids Wish Network newsletter will be hitting your inboxes soon. It’s full of new stories about our wish kids, and what’s been going on over here lately. Check out all of our new stories, including pics and videos of some recent wishes. It even has the story of one heroic boy who risked his own life to save another, and was severely wounded in the process. Because of his bravery and quick response to a friend in need, he was awarded Kids Wish Network’s Hero of the Month for the medical facility he was treated at.

There is also a compilation video, which includes the story of Gildiana, our 6-year-old wish kid who has cancer. Her wish was for a shopping spree, and she got to dress up like a princess and take a horse-drawn carriage to the store she chose. It is such a touching story. You won’t want to miss it!

Elizabeth

Florence, SC – A young boy with a life-threatening illness had his wish granted to visit various Florida theme parks with the help of national charity Kids Wish Network.

Michael was born with an illness called Sickle Cell disease. This is a debilitating disorder in whish the blood cells in the body are attacked, causing severe pain. Michael has a very weak immune system, has had many blood transfusions and doctors also believe he has suffered a stroke. Sometimes he uses a wheelchair for mobility because he becomes too weak or is in too much pain.

While surfing the Internet and searching for wish granting organizations, Michael’s mother Mary came across Kids Wish Network’s website and referred her son online. She was contacted by the organization, and Michael was soon on his way to having his wish granted. Mary said he couldn’t wait to visit the Florida theme parks.

“He was so excited especially about Disney and to go on the water rides and meet Mickey Mouse,” she said.

Wish coordinator Madeline, and wish funding specialist Doris got to work on making Michael’s wish come true. Together, they arranged flights, hotel stays, theme park tickets, dinners, entertainment, spending money and even a limo ride to and from the airport courtesy of Celebrity Limousine.

Michael said he was excited when the limo pulled up to the house.

“I didn’t know I was going to ride in it. I took pictures, too,” he said.

While in Orlando, Michael visited The Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios, and Islands of Adventure. He said Animal Kingdom was the best park.

“It [Animal Kingdom] was my favorite. I saw gorillas, lions and rhinos. And I rode Expedition Everest,” Michael said. “I also liked Splash Mountain at The Magic Kingdom.”

Mary said her son loved all the rides and got to take pictures with different characters. She said they all had so much fun.

“I had so much fun I didn’t know whether I was going or coming,” she said.

Various dinners were arranged for the family while they were staying in Orlando, but Mary said that the family enjoyed the experience at Planet Hollywood the best.

“They treated us like a King and Queen and the food was delicious,” she said. “They gave us glasses to take home for souvenirs, too.”

Mary said that Kids Wish Network did an awesome job of arranging the trip for Michael and her family. She said she gives the organization an “A plus!”

And when asked if his wish came true, Michael simply said, “Oh, yes ma’am.”

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Michael’s wish extra special: Celebrity Limousine, Royal Plaza Hotel, Pirates Dinner Adventure, Planet Hollywood, House of Blues, Mears Transportation, Buffalo Wild Wings, Wonderworks, Chief Ansen Shells, and Pee Dee Federal Credit Union

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

WINONA, Minnesota – A little boy with a life-threatening illness had the wish of his life with Kids Wish Network.

Seven-year-old Zane was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at the tender age of one. Since then, he’s been completely dependent on other people and devices. Zane is confined to a wheelchair most of the day and must use an alphabet board and a communication device for talking.

While surfing the internet for organizations designed to help children with illnesses, Zane’s mother Amy found the homepage for Kids Wish Network. Once in contact with the organization, it wasn’t long before Amy found herself talking to Wish Coordinator Jill, who soon found out Zane’s only wish: to visit Disney World in Florida.

With the help of Wish Funding Specialist Doris and some outstanding sponsors, Jill arranged to send Zane, his parents and his baby brother on the trip of their lives to the Sunshine State. In addition to supplying them with tickets to every major theme park that Zane could ever want to visit, Jill also organized dinners every night for the family and even secured them a room at the famous Royal Plaza Hotel!

“Oh, it was awesome. He [Zane] was really overwhelmed and speechless. We were all just in awe,” said Amy of the trip as a whole.

Once in Orlando, Zane was happy to be spun silly on Disney’s “Mad Tea Party” ride at the Magic Kingdom, while at Sea World he delighted in the whale and dolphin shows. At the Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, Zane was “just tickled pink” to find that visiting “Seuss Landing” was just like stepping into one of his favorite Dr. Seuss stories. “He loved all of it,” said Amy.

When Zane made it home to Winona, everyone thought that a day of rest would be good for him before heading back to school. Zane, however, wanted to get to school as soon as possible so that he could let EVERYONE know all about his trip!

“We have tons of new memories,” said Amy. “He just wanted to tell everyone all about it!”

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Zane’s wish extra special: Compassion Partners, WonderWorks, Pirates Dinner Adventure, The Royal Plaza Hotel, Thrifty/Dollar Rent A Car, The Sizzler, Uno Chicago Grill, American Legion Auxiliary Post 9, Jerry and Sue Miller, Merchants Bank, Quinlan Insurance & Financial Services, St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, Severson Oil Company, Ticona Polymers Inc. Winona MN, and the Winona Fire Department Relief Fund.

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<

One of the nicest parts of being with Kids Wish Network is the wonderful notes, letters, calls, and emails we receive from the wish kids & their parents. When their wishes have been fulfilled they are gracious enough to send us these “thank-yous” and pictures. The pictures are worth more than a thousand words and we all look forward to receiving them.

Donna
Development Department

One thing I love about KWN is sitting at my desk and seeing all the smiling faces from the pictures of my wish kids on their wishes. It is so nice to get photos back from my wish families, and it is probably my favorite part of being a wish coordinator. So all you wish families out there, make sure you send in those photos!

Vanessa
Wish Department

My favorite wishes to grant are for those children to whom you offer the world, and all they want is a PETCO gift card for their dog.

Jennifer
Wish Department

Barbara and I are back from Vegas in one piece! As I mentioned before our departure, we went there to attend The ABC Kids Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show was busy and full of a lively atmosphere. We got to see and thank many of the wonderful companies who donate to our organization with such open hearts.

We had our little goodie bag full of Kids Wish Network Guardian Angel Coins which we passed out, along with our gratitude and many smiles. It was so heartwarming to be pulled aside and shown the coins in their purses and wallets from the last time we met or when we were told all the funny little stories that people connect to our little good luck charms!

We also met a lot of new companies with promises of future donations, everybody we met was so full of hope and charity, it was really uplifting. I know in my heart that between Kids Wish Network and the many kind and giving companies and individuals out there that we will be supplying toys and gifts to many many many deserving little people for a long long time to come!

Ashley
Distribution Department

This morning when I came in it was business as usual. I said good morning to everyone and sat down in my office to begin my day. As I worked through my pile of surveys, emails, etc. I came across one of the most heart warming surveys yet. We recently gave a gift bank to a facility that cares for abused children. A precious little girl at the tender age of 4 had been to the center for a full abuse assessment as well as a comprehensive medical exam. After a little while had passed the little girl kept asking her mom to go to “the doctor”. Confused by what the child was trying to get at, the child began to describe the safe center. All the little girl wanted to do was play at the children’s waiting room. The mother called the center and, of course, they gave a thumbs-up on the visit.

The facility was so grateful to Kids Wish Network for the gift bank full of toys and activities that we had sent them and explained that our help makes it possible for these innocent children to have a safe place to play. My heart was so overjoyed at the thought of a child so excited to go back to a place where she can play and have fun after all she had to endure. This just made my week! Receiving letters like these makes us want to work even harder for these wonderful children! Toys heal wounds!

Barbara Askin
Director of Distribution

Today I received a short, but sweet email from one of our families regarding their daughter receiving the Hero of the Month award:

“My name is Berta and I am the proud parent of Lauren. Lauren was chosen as HERO of the MONTH … in September. I would like to personally thank the Kids Wish Network because she was so excited when she received the gift card and the t-shirt. This child has been through so much in her 7 years of living but expresses her gratitude for even the smaller things.

Again, thank you from the Foster family. Your organization has made a small child smile again after such a major surgery.”

It’s responses like these that makes the long days worth while! Good job KWN!!

Margo
HOTM Facility Coordinator

I’ve spent my entire career in sports & entertainment marketing. My daily responsibilities would touch upon areas such as: advertising, branding, writing, special events, and promotions. Selling was never my “thing”; I’ve never been assertive/aggressive in that sense. My thoughts… If you don’t want it, no worries – don’t buy it!

Needless to say, I was nervous when I started at KWN and was informed that one of my duties was to contact children’s/pediatric facilities nationwide in an effort to have them join our HERO OF THE MONTH program. (“Do I have to actually pitch these people? Do I have to maintain a quota each month? What if they reject me???”)

After eavesdropping on my colleague – who seamlessly & smoothly delivers the parameters of the program to her respective contacts like a pro each and every time – I began reaching out to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, burn units and shelters to inform them of HOTM. There are days when I simply have to “step away from the phone”, tired of hearing the sound of my own voice, but when I do manage to get a facility representative on the phone, it is with great pleasure that I get to introduce them to the rewards of HOTM. I’ve had a few facilities sign with us since I’ve started (Welcome!) and have many others who have expressed interest. In communicating with these people who dedicate their lives to children in need, I no longer look at these phone calls as “selling”, but “sharing” because that is exactly what we are doing! There is never a cost to the facility to participate, so it’s a win-win situation for all involved!

If you would like to honor some brave children that walk through your doors every month, please call us at 888.918.9004 so you can join our roster of esteemed facilities who participate in KIDS WISH NETWORK’s HERO OF THE MONTH Program!

Susan
HOTM Facility Coordinator

All of the surveys for wishes granted, heroes recognized and gift banks delivered come through me. As I was going through a small stack today, I realized that there were some words that were constantly repeated in surveys from people and facilities all around the country, so I decided to post a few for you all to see. See?

Just reading these words will give you a feeling for the sorts of emotions and thoughts our programs cause all around the U.S. I think it’s just great to know.

~Alicia
Editorial Department

So I found myself in bed for a few days last week. I was feeling pretty sick and I have to tell you that when you’re sick, there really isn’t much you can do but lay around. At the very most for minimal entertainment and a little distraction I was able to watch television. Mostly all you can really do is rest, rest, rest.

I know this sounds pretty boring and what makes it even worse is you’re not feeling well. I found my thoughts wandering many times to our wish kids. See at the end of the day I knew I was going to feel better; I was able to say, this too shall pass and I knew I would be able to have fun again.

But what about all of our wish kids who don’t have the opportunity to think like that? They have to lie in bed a lot longer than I had to and for many they never get to go outside and play or run around with their friends. Being sick really put things in perspective for me. We all complain and whine when we have the sniffles or a headache, but these children suffer with real diseases and have a much worse time of it than most of us – their illness never goes away!

So, next time you’re feeling kind of crummy, put some of our wish kids’ stories in your head and thank your lucky stars that you’ll get through it in a short period of time, then put out a good vibe for the children who are really sick, who suffer with life threatening illnesses on a daily basis.

Megan
Development Department

Yesterday I got a new batch of applications back in the mail from the families of some of our potential wish kids. I always get excited when I get new applications and I get to see the new and special kids that we will be trying to fulfill wishes for.

Part of the application requires that a current picture of the wish kid is included, and I think it is so wonderful to be able to see the faces of the children that we grant our wishes to. Since we have kids all across the country that we grant wishes to, we don’t get to go on all the wishes or meet every child in person. But at least we get to see their bright and smiling faces in the photos that their families include in the application.

So thanks for sending in all the applications and the photos to accompany them. Keep ‘em coming!

Elizabeth