Proof in the Importance of a Wish
By Sarah Ford on March 18, 2014
When I accepted the position at Make-A-Wish Maine, I knew I found the right place for me. Since college, I’ve worked in development and was thrilled to join an organization like Make-A-Wish because it was getting to the heart of why I wanted to work in the nonprofit world: to make a difference I could feel.
For the first few months, I floated on the warm and fuzzies. Each wish kid is going through such a difficult time and their families are with them every step of the way. Why shouldn’t we grant their truest wish? It will bring a little bit joy into their world of hospital visits, medical tests and worries that are coming their way all too soon.
Believe me, the warm and fuzzies have been great, but it wasn’t until I began to really learn the impact of a wish that I realized the significance of the work I get to do every single day. To share this impact, I am going to tell the story of Adam.
Finding Motivation in a Wish
In February of 2002, 18-year-old Adam was fortunate to have overcome a rare form of cancer. His wish was to ski with professional skier Shane McConkey and this wish was granted by Make-A-Wish Maine at Squaw Valley in Olympic Valley, Calif.
“I will never forget the incredible adrenaline surge I felt when I first met my skiing hero in front of the Cable Car at Squaw Valley,” said Adam, now 30. “Words like surreal and unbelievable don’t do enough justice to quantify how great it was to ski with Shane.”