Thirteen-year-old, Makena, is a delightful young lady who struggles daily with a very rare chromosomal syndrome resulting in developmental delays and a hole in her heart. Makena’s communication is very limited, but Dad knows exactly when she likes something because of her sweet smile and contagious giggle! She loves participating in lots of activities – […]
Tia was a fighter from day one. She and her twin were born at 24 weeks gestation and both overcame many obstacles in their first year. Mom shared that Tia fought especially hard for every ounce of freedom that she could get and through it all, she had a smile on her face. She also
Caleb has spent the last year in and out of the hospital after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. He has endured 33 rounds of radiation and year-long chemotherapy treatments. His tumor is intertwined with much of his brain, and only a small portion could be removed so, unfortunately, the remaining mass is inoperable. However,
Meet Bowdenn! He is a typical, active one-year-old who loves to be outside swinging and playing . This little guy is an only child, and his diagnosis of Neuroblastoma rocked his family’s world. Cancer isn’t something that anyone wants to hear, and for first-time parents, Allie & Austin, their baby’s diagnosis was terrifying, and the
This past Easter, shortly after her 17th birthday, Paige came down with a severely high fever accompanied by a sore throat, stiff neck, and upset stomach. Oh no – COVID-19! No, that test came up negative. Mono? Strep? – also negative. Doctors continued testing, and to everyone’s surprise and dismay, cancer was the official diagnosis.
At just one month old, Rowan’s parents rushed her to the hospital with what they thought was a severe infection. However, after multiple tests, Rowan was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Her parents endured endless sleepless nights as they watched their baby girl spend 179 days in the hospital experiencing NINE lumbar punctures, FOUR bone
During the Summer months leading into her sophomore year, Megan started to feel run down and found out she had pneumonia. After 6 weeks of treatments, she wasn’t feeling well but she still went to her first day of school and her parents scheduled a doctor’s appointment right after the school day ended. Doctors were alarmed
Out of nowhere, after living an active and healthy life, 13 year old Jade suffered a traumatic seizure. After this crippling event, she was diagnosed with severe intractable epilepsy and she was placed in a medically induced coma so her medical team could run tests and locate the source of the problem. They woke her
Just short of his first birthday, this adorable little boy was diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor – resulting in large growths on each of his kidneys. Asher immediately got started on a chemo protocol and his tumors responded well; however, he then developed Nephrotic syndrome. This condition damaged his kidneys to the extent that both
On his special wish day, Julian not only had the chance to see acres of cool cars at the Withrow Car Show, he was also brought on stage and surprised by Advisory Board member and ESPN Broadcaster, Clay Matvick, with the news that his wish was approved and coming true! Julian was born with a rare genetic
Daxus’ parents wrote on his wish application that they had come up with his name prior to getting pregnant. As their anticipation and love grew, so did their tiny in utero baby who kicked for spicy foods and kept Mom’s mind on him constantly with his activity in her belly. Sadly, Mom experienced a traumatic
When Anella was born, she appeared to be a happy and healthy little girl. However, as she aged, it became apparent that something was seriously wrong. A visit to the neurologist became the first of many appointments searching for a diagnosis to explain the seizures, vision loss, and lack of development in this precious child.
In May of 2012, little Ethan was born with a host of health care issues that would forever affect him physically, emotionally, and developmentally. He was put up for adoption in Florida and in December of 2012 he was adopted into a loving family in Minnesota. Knowing that he would need a high level of
When his family first found Wishes & More, Cole was in extremely poor health due to a traumatic birth with only 25% of the blood needed in his body. His parents anticipated receiving a memorial grant instead of a wish fulfillment. Despite the poor prognosis for their child, they remained hopeful and continued to see him through
Last November, an ambulance transported Korbin to the hospital because he couldn’t breathe and tests showed that his heart was only functioning at 23% capacity. He was soon diagnosed with Lupus disease, a condition causing his immune system to attack his own body. After about a week in the ICU, his heart made a comeback,
Meet Ellie! She may look like your average teenager, but she has been struggling with a serious blood disorder called Myelodysplastic Syndrome. She became very ill last year and unfortunately, had to postpone her dream of attending college in order to receive a necessary bone marrow transplant. With the successful treatment and recovery process behind
Blake’s parents experienced the unimaginable in the delivery room when their son was born and unable to breathe on his own. He was immediately transferred to Children’s Hospital where they discovered a lump on his neck and, just two days later, Blake underwent surgery for a biopsy and bone marrow test. The results were Neuroblastoma
Covid-19 wasn’t going to stop Wishes & More from making this travel wish come true! Ten-year-old, Dreydin, was diagnosed in April with a terminal, and rare, genetic disease called Adrenoleukodystrophy. Dreydin’s doctors have indicated that there is a possibility that he will experience a plethora of devastating blows as this disease destroys the protective sheath of
Some people show their grit and potential success at a very young age. But at six weeks old?? When Sam was an infant, his parents learned that he suffered from a Congenital Heart Disorder and his lifelong battle began. Surgeries were scheduled and hospital stays became a normal part of his life. Thankfully, he’s been
Only 17 months on this earth, but showered with love every hour and every day – even though he never made it home. Flint was born with a rare condition called Heterotaxy, and it caused his internal organs to be misplaced in his body. The severity of the resulting complications had him undergo many surgeries,
It was right before Christmas in 2017 when Ara & Ailey decided to make their premature arrival. Unfortunately, their early delivery came with a host of complications due to their underdeveloped organs and these first-time parents made the hospital their second home. They lived every minute under the strain of watching their two tiny babies
At only 6-weeks-old in December 2018, Whitney was diagnosed with a large brain tumor. She immediately underwent three surgeries within a month’s time to remove 95% of the tumor. As you can imagine, her parents were extremely frightened by everything their daughter was enduring but were grateful when Whitney was able to be home for
At eighteen-months-old, Audrey appeared to be a healthy little girl and she was a bundle of energy and smiles. She was growing, learning and eating well, but her parents were concerned because her abdomen appeared to be abnormally large. They consulted with her doctor and an ultrasound was recommended. After a very anxious wait, the
Our goal at Wishes & More is to be able to support every child who qualifies for our programming through a wish and Scholarship of Hope; or with a Memorial gift. Social workers and personal referrals play an important role in helping us reach this goal – as do our financial donors. One of our
