Kids Wish Network, in my opinion, has one of the most amazing “reward” programs out there! While we do normal wish granting for those children with life threatening illnesses, we realized there was a void for those kids who don’t suffer from a life threatening illness but are still going through a rough time, in and out of the hospital.

Enter the Hero of the Month Program!

Jakob is Our Hero

This AMAZING program recognizes those children who are going through really hard or traumatic experiences – car accidents, chronic conditions, abuse situations, etc… One a facility, be it a children’s hospital, child advocacy center or homeless shelter, joins our program, they are able to recognize one child a month who they believe is a Hero. This is a child who has overcome such amazing odds and is going through a rough time and need something, anything really, to put a smile on their face.

The Hero will be recognized by the facility and Kids Wish Network as a Hero of the Month and will receive a Hero packet that consists of a t-shirt, a medal and a certificate. The really awesome part is they also get a gift card to either Wal-Mart or Target that ranges in value from $200-500, depending on the Hero’s age!!! This is money for them to use to buy whatever they wish for!

This is a really awesome program that has made such a difference in the lives of many children. We currently have 128 facilities all across the United States participating and we would LOVE to have you join us! If you feel this program would be a great fit for your facility and would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Be part of this life changing program and help us recognize those kids who have been through so much, those kids who can only be called “Heroes”!

Margo
Wish Department

My Mother remembers exactly what she was doing when JFK was assassinated. The time capsule in my head includes such hallmark memories as the nail-biting OJ verdict (“No WAY”!); Princess Diana’s elaborate funeral (I can still hear Elton John singing “Candle in the Wind”); President Obama’s momentous inauguration and of course, September 11th, 2001.

I was heading to work at Madison Square Garden that morning, congesting the streets of Manhattan with millions of other dutiful employees. It goes without saying that none of us could have predicted the darkness that evaded us that sunny day. News of the Twin Towers’ destruction spread through our offices – and the rest of the country – like an unstoppable virus. Phone lines were jammed, people panicked, and our department heads prepared for the worst. Although 4 miles stood between us and the World Trade Center, we were merely one BLOCK from the Empire State Building – another distinguishing structure in a city of celebrated landmarks.

I arrived to my small, cozy (“cozy” – a favored term used by NY real estate agents!) apartment around dusk. While engrossed in CNN for 48 consecutive hours, I was able to absorb the full extent of what transpired – and the monstrosity of it – mesmerized, frightened and appalled by the destruction of “my” city. New Yorkers can be very territorial; for as long as I can remember, the Yankees have been “our team”.

The whole city united to honor, mourn and celebrate the many heroes that emerged. I was a member of the Community Relations division, a department instrumental in coordinating the once-in-a-lifetime star-studded “Concert for New York City” – a “Who’s Who” in the entertainment world. Despite the abundance of A-listers packed into “The World’s Most Famous Arena”, all egos were put aside for this spectacular event. Working (in) the VIP Room, I stood among Bill Clinton, Mark Wahlberg, Paul McCartney and Michael J. Fox – all humbled and honored to be in the company of the men & women representing the NYPD, FDNY and EMT. For one night, the tables had turned and the celebrities were inspired by the “everyday folk”.

This is the first year that I will not be in NYC on September 11th, as I moved to the Tampa Bay area about 4 months ago. I’ve been part of the team here at KWN for less than 3 weeks and here, the term “hero” is implemented into our daily communication. Some children request trips to Disney, or tickets to see their favorite musician or ballplayer. Although they might be in awe of Mickey Mouse, Miley Cyrus or Derek Jeter, these children are the real heroes – the fighters and the relentless forces who we should be in awe of, just like the men & women who sacrificed, volunteered and assisted in an effort to reconstruct the broken pieces of their esteemed city. And so, on the anniversary of 9/11, I salute all the heroes – big and small!

Susan
HOTM Facility Coordinator

Rogersville, MO – Two young boys from Rogersville have been chosen as recipients of Kids Wish Network’s “Hero of the Month Award” program by Cox Health Systems Hospital. The award is given to children nationwide by Kids Wish Network, a national charity dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. The Hero Program was created by the charity to help children who have experienced a life altering and often traumatic situation.

It was an ordinary ride home from grandma’s house for 3-year-old Isaiah and 4-year-old Elijah. Their father, Clint, had just picked them up and they were less than a minute away from home when a drunk driver crossed into their lane, causing Clint to swerve out of the way, flipping their Jeep Cherokee several times.

The jeep was stuck upside down, and it took over 50 minutes for medical crews to extract Clint from the vehicle. Isaiah sustained serious injuries, and was sedated at the scene.
The boys were taken along with their father to nearby hospital, Cox Health Systems.

“Isaiah’s injuries were much worse than Elijah’s, but Elijah remembered everything and was more emotionally damaged,” said Amanda, Isaiah and Elijah’s mom.

Kids Wish Network works with over 100 children’s facilities across the country, and each month one child from each facility is nominated as a hero. Each of those children is then recognized as that facility’s “Hero of the Month” and receives a medal, a certificate of honor, a gift card valued at between $200 and $500 depending on the child’s age, to buy whatever they wish for, and a Hero of the Month t-shirt.

Cox Health Systems nominated Elijah as their Hero of the Month for July.

Since the accident, Amanda said that everyone is doing OK. She said that the hero nomination has helped everyone cope much better.

“It helped Elijah get through it. Any time anyone comes over he shows them his award and tells them he is a superhero,” said Amanda. “He wears that medal all the time. We framed his award and its hanging on his wall in his bedroom.”

“When I first met Elijah, his only concern was for his little brother and his father,” said Child Life Specialist Amanda. “He is my hero because he was so focused on his brother that he did not care how he felt.”

The family recently found out that Isaiah will be receiving the honor for the month of August. “I already have a frame ready and the certificate is going up on the wall. He’ll be really excited when he gets his medal because he always wants to play with Elijah’s medal,” she said.

Amanda said she is excited that both boys will be recipients of the award. “I think it is a wonderful program for kids who have gone through traumatic experiences to say, “look what I did, look what I got!” she said.

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 their website at http://www.kidswishnetwork.org