Make-A-Wish seeks Pike applicants
By Frances Ruth Harris
MILFORD — Maggie O’Brien, Make-A-Wish administrator, said local children are being deprived of their wishes.
She told the Pike County Commissioners last week that, statistically, five youngsters in the area face life-threatening illnesses every year. But there have been zero referrals to the foundation, she said, and asked for the commissioners’ help in finding them.
Make-A-Wish's stated mission is to “grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”
“The foundation believes that a wish is an experience that fills children and their families with a feeling of hope and invigorates them with a joy for living,” O'Brien said. “Nearly 80 percent of our ‘Wish’ children are still living.”
Make-A-Wish asks a terminally ill child, “If you could go anywhere, have anything, be anything or meet anyone, what would it be?”
Wishes often fall into one of four categories: travel wishes, celebrity meetings, gift wishes and occupational wishes, said O'Brien. A trip to Disney is the top wish. Make-A-Wish sends the child and their immediate family to the wished-for destination.
Make-A-Wish's most called-for celebrity is wrestler John Cena, she said. With his slogan “Be here and never give up!” he's helped more than 600 kids fulfill their wish. He sends cards to kids and checks on them after his Make-A-Wish visits.
The fulfillment of wishes can have a life-changing effect on children and the families, said O'Brien.
She said she relies on the medical community for referrals. Teachers, counselors, friends and neighbors can also make referrals. She said she suspects that many Pike residents go to New Jersey for medical care and so are not identified in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
O’Brien said some families view Make-A-Wish as a hand out, but she denied this. It's the fulfillment of a dream that gives strength to living, she said, sharing pictures:
Kiley from Bushkill fulfilled her wish when she played her flute with the Boston Pops orchestra.
Maggie from Matamoras fulfilled her wish with a trip to Hawaii.
To contact Make-A-Wish in Northeastern Pennsylvania, call 570-341-WISH or email email@pawv.wish.org.