I receive many calls a day regarding our sweepstakes mailings, direct mailings and donation inquires; I talk to people from all over the nation. I like speaking to these people and many have interesting stories they share with me. While the “Development Divas” are busy making calls, there’s always someone who wants to talk to me (how nice). What I like most is listening to their voices, knowing they are from a different part of the country. Also, I hear a lot of unique names, which I love. I feel like I visit all 50 states every day (it’s exhausting!).

Melissa
Development & Donor Relations

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

I’m coming up on my one year anniversary at Kids Wish Network. My job is to raise funds for childrens wishes. My first year went by so fast and I have tons of memories, but if I could choose my favorite, I’m reminded of Kim, who turns out to be one of the most favorite wish kids I’ve worked on funding. I couldn’t wait for her to get to go to Disney World!

Kim was one of the first children I ever worked on. I spoke to so many wonderful people who wanted to help her just as much as I did. But it wasn’t just about fund
ng her wish, it was a real learning experience for me and I made a new friend with just about every person I spoke to. My favorite part was seeing the photos Kim took while on her wish. That made it very real for me.

All of these children suffer from life-threatening illnesses. As hard as it is sometimes, you have to try to put yourself in their shoes. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to hear all the horrible things these children face daily. Many of them have to take medication every single day. Many don’t get to go outside to play and have fun like other children. Try to imagine being sick almost every day; I can barely handle getting the flu. It’s important to remember that each child we fulfill a wish for is a truly courageous. They deal with more in a few days than what some of us deal with in a lifetime.

All the wish kids I’ve helped are special and I hope they all know what a true inspiration they are to those around them!

Megan
Development Department

I truly believe that we are purposely put in the paths of certain people… and such was my destiny with Chris.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Chris, a very special guy from the California Police Youth Charities. When I told him about Ludwick and his wish for a Playstation 3 and a TV, Chris not only got the game console and Ludwick’s favorite games and the TV, but he went way above and beyond.

Because he related to Ludwick’s love of football and everything that goes along with it, he was determined to make Ludwick’s wish special. And boy was it special! Chris scheduled former Denver Bronco player, Glen Cadrez and his wife, model-actress, Brande Roderick, to present Ludwick with his Playstation 3 & TV. It was way more than Ludwick or I ever expected.

Thank you Chris, for being that one special person to make a world of difference!

Doris
Development Department

In working here at Kids Wish Network I’ve come to realize how precious life is and how we should treat each day as a gift and stop and smell the roses.

I was recently working on a wish for a little girl who passed away before we could actually complete her wish. It made me sad that she never got to experience her wish. It also made me realize that what we do here is real. We help kids who have dealt with pain and suffering sometimes their whole life. When the children know they are getting a wish it gives them something to look forward to, something to hold on to. Sometimes that is the only fun thing that they have coming up in the foreseeable future.

I’ve begun to realize that your house will always be there to clean, the weeds will still be growing in your yard but the special moments with family and friends can’t wait. We need to cherish them and enjoy them now. Celebrate each moment and don’t hold anything back. Wear that new dress now break out the good china for dinner tonight and eat your favorite meal on it, even if it is fattening. Don’t put off hold back or save anything that would add joy or laughter to your life now!

Jill
Wish Coordinator

The work that is done here at Kids Wish Network is, in my opinion, some of the most important work there is. While we work hard day after day, we can’t always do everything on our own. We need your help!

We often reach out to the community for help with different aspects of our wishes – press, participation, fundraising and donations. While we know that you may not always be able to help out, it would help us a lot of we could just get a response from you. Please take a few minutes to return our phone calls and e-mails and let us know that you did receive the information but are unable to help or participate at this time. We are very persistent here; if we don’t hear back, we’ll keep calling!

A big thank you goes out to those who do respond to our inquiries. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to listen to us. Because of your help, some very deserving children have gotten the wishes of their lives and others have gotten to take part in a monthly celebration that focuses on them and not their situation. It’s because of you and these kids that we keep doing what we do.

And keep picking up the phone again and again…

Margo
HOTM Facility Coordinator

When we write the press releases here at Kids Wish Network, we send them to different sorts of outlets for coverage. For each release, we’ll send it out to the papers/news stations/radio stations in the hometown of the wish child. Also, with each press release comes a different subject. (Some are kids who visit Disney, some are kids who meet their favorite celebrities, some get to go on shopping sprees or want a game system, etc.) Every child is different and every wish is special, making it an extra treat to be able to write the releases.

Most of the time, these paper/news channels will run a story on the kid and his/her wish and it’s awesome. Sometimes, we’ll even have our press releases snagged by a friendly reader and posted to a personal or some other type of blog. It’s these that are surprising because, as on most blogs, comments are enabled. I love coming across these as I receive each story run because I simply adore reading the comments. My fellow writer Elizabeth sent out a story yesterday about one of our Wish Kids who met Chicago Cubs player Aramis Ramirez. She posted the story on the Bleacher Report and it was snagged by The Chicago Cubs official blog. The first comment on that story was absolutely great, written by someone named Aaron, and I just had to share some of it:

“I don’t know who you are, but I assume you’re with the wish network, and I must say, that was a very nice, and well-written article. Thank you for sharing the heartwarming story with us. I only wish that more ballplayers would do that sort of thing…Big props to all the Cubs that showed they cared. That’s a horrible situation the kid was in, and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. Once again, thanks for the article, and if you can let us know about any other stories like that, it would be much appreciated.”

Great job, Elizabeth, on the awesome release and great job to the Chicago Cubs for granting little Nick’s wish. Oh, and thanks to Aaron and all the others who post such wonderful comments on posts about our Wish Kids. We really appreciate the sentiments, emotions and stories that you have to share. Who knows, maybe you reading the blog in the first place will help a child in the future. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Alicia
Editorial 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

It’s not a secret that times are tough. However, even during these tough times, there are still kind-hearted people out there; People who let nothing get in their way to help a child who needs a wish granted. They have a special place in their hearts for children and the story of a child with a life-threatening illness really touches them. They even think “outside the box,” coming up with special ways to raise funds, like the Credit Union who came up with the idea of doing a 50/50 raffle. Then there’s the college that gets all the teachers to come together to help fund a child’s wish, or the American Legion who digs into their own pockets to help a child in need. I wanted to thank all the creative donors out there who go the extra mile to put a smile on the face of a child with a life threatening illness.

Megan
Development Dept.

Wow!

Imagine being 12-years-old and having a private audience with the President of the United States.  That is exactly what happened to Ta’Kiyah, a sweet little girl from Dover, DE.  Ta’Kiyah’s presidential wish was granted by Kids Wish Network.   

Ta’Kiyah was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor and has endured months of hospital stays, chemotherapy and doctor visits. 

Her wish started off in style as she was picked up at her home in Dover in a limousine courtesy of Camelot Limousine Service and driven to Washington D.C. where she was welcomed by the attentive staff at the 5-star Hay Adams Hotel.  She loved how the staff greeted her by name every day and the surprises that they would leave in her room each night.  She was thrilled when she learned that this was the same hotel that the Obama family stayed in prior to the inauguration.

That night she was made an “official rock star” at the Hard Rock Cafe.  She was mesmerized by all of the memorabilia and the D.J. played all of her favorite music. 

The next day was fraught with emotions.  Ta’Kiyah was nervous as she headed over to the White House.  As she waited in the Oval Office Lobby, her emotions began to get the best of her.  Finally, the time had come.  She stood, covering her eyes and trepiditiously made her way around the corner.  President Obama stood there waiting for her but Ta’Kiyah’s feet wouldn’t move!  President Obama kindly told her to uncover her eyes and approach him.  “Ta’kiyah, put your hands down, it’s going to be ok”, he coaxed.  Slowly, she approached him and he shook her hand and then warmly embraced her, telling her there was nothing to be nervous about. 

He took her into his office as Ta’Kiyah’s aunt looked on with tears in her eyes as well.  Ta’Kiyah shared her scrapbook filled with personal pictures and mementos.  President Obama was impressed with the numerous scholastic accolades that Ta’Kiyah had received and with her personal struggles with cancer.  He gave her a beautiful Presidential coin and Ta’Kiyah reciprocated with a Kids Wish Network Guardian Angel Coin. 

Later, Ta’Kiyah beamed with happiness about her experience. She said it was the best day of her life and, “That I wasn’t crying, my eyes were just watery that day!” 

Madeline

Wow! I just had the honor of putting together a wish for the sweetest little boy! Mikey may only be 4 years old, but he has more NASCAR knowledge than most adult fans.

Mikey’s only wish was to meet Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and once again Dale, Jr. didn’t disappoint. Thanks to the Dale Jr. Foundation and Go Daddy.com, Mikey had the best weekend of his life! He not only got to meet his hero and share some time bonding at Dale’s mobile home; Mikey and his mom were VIP guests in the GoDaddy.com / Dale, Jr. Foundation Hospitality tent at the Darlington Raceway Southern 500 Race. As a surprise, Mikey also got to meet Dale’s racing partner, Brad Keselowski and WWE Diva/Go Daddy.com spokesperson, Candice Michelle. GoDaddy even furnished tickets to the race for Mikey and his family.

However, the best part of his wish was undoubtedly the special time that Mikey spent with his hero, Nascar Superstar, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Mikey and Dale bonded with talk about cars and Mikey gave Dale a Guardian Angel coin for luck. The best moment of all came when Dale got up to leave and Mikey hugged him exclaiming “I love you Dale, Jr.”, Dale reached down, patted Mikey on the back and told him, “I love you too, buddy”. Thank you Dale, for caring enough to make Mikey’s dream so special. A true American Hero, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Recently we were able to help make a young girl’s wish of going to “American Idol” come true.  I began working on Elena’s wish in September of ’08.  Elena is from Champaign, Illinois and has a condition known as Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy.  When I interviewed her she expressed her love for “American Idol” and especially Paula Abdul.  She told me she wanted to go see the show and too meet Paula.  I began working with American Idol to make her wish come true.

Last week Elena’s wish came true! She and her family were flown to Los Angeles, where they were greeted at the airport by a chauffeur in a stretch limousine and taken to the luxury SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills to begin a three day Hollywood adventure that included being able to attend a live “American Idol” show as members of the audience.  Elena brought a present for Paula and was even able to give it to her and to tell Paula how much she loved her.  Paula responded with a big hug and kiss for Elena and the rest of her family!  After the show was over Elena and her family were escorted up to a room where all the contestants were waiting to meet her.  She and her family were able to converse with all of them and ask lots of questions.  Afterward they all autographed shirts and photos for Elena as well as taking lots of photos with her.  I’m sure this is an experience that Elena will never forget!