In 2020, tiny Oscar arrived prematurely and was in respiratory failure. Wishes & More was contacted a month later by a social worker to be on standby to jump into action to support this young family with either a wish or a memorial grant. Miraculously, three years later, the family was ready to think about a […]
When we first met Rhiannon, she was undergoing chemo and was preparing to go into her most intense round of treatment in her battle with Leukemia. Prior to her diagnosis and rigorous treatments, Rhiannon was a very active young lady – playing basketball and on a Special Olympics bowling team. She is a very social girl
Social Workers play an important role at Wishes & More and join us in deeply caring about our wish kids and their families. In most cases, since they are the closest resource for our wish families when they are in hospital, they serve as the referral source for our organization. We value these relationships and recently,
Thank you, Social Workers! Read More »
Hope was born with a rare genetic condition and a need for a heart transplant. Initially, doctors reported that Hope was making progress and plans were underway for her to transfer to a Chicago hospital for the delicate procedure. Unfortunately, Hope’s condition declined with the discovery of additional complex medical issues including a cancerous tumor. Her parents and her medical team
Last year, 18-year-old Broten’s summer fun was hampered by frequent colds, minor illnesses and fatigue. He was just starting his senior year in high school and his parents sent him in for a physical to see what might be slowing him down. Some of the blood work was off which started him on a path
A heartfelt thank you note is never expected, but it is so rewarding to receive. A recent message we received was a beautiful reminder that our charity is an important and impactful part of our family’s lives during very emotional and difficult days. We hope you enjoy Laney’s Mom’s words: “Your team made the whole
We’re excited to periodically take a look back at past wishes and we’d like to take the opportunity to share Kelly’s journey “After the Wish!” You may remember Kelly from her on-stage debut at the Winter Ball in 2014 when she found out that her wish to go deer hunting with her favorite television huntress,
Kelly – After the Wish! Read More »
Sam is a bright young woman who loves sports and excels in playing soccer! She was diagnosed with cancer in high school and, as you can imagine, it turned her world upside down. Despite her battles, her faith and positive attitude helped her overcome this unexpected challenge and she is now in her first year
Sixteen-year-old Abby has been challenged with a serious Type 1, juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus that is very difficult to control, which makes every day an opportunity for a life-threatening scenario. During one episode, Abby’s levels went so low during the night, that her parents had to rush her to the emergency room to save her life. The
Frankie has a blast when she can explore freely – and her family loves when they can avoid telling her “no.” However, she has little to no concept of boundaries, so her parents have the challenge of keeping her safe while allowing her to have fun being independent. This little lady has Down Syndrome, coupled
After visiting her doctor because of a persistent cough and itchiness, Sierra underwent tests for asthma which revealed something restricting her breathing. No one imagined the severity of the issue until she went in for an x-ray, which showed a huge mass on her chest. Her diagnosis was Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Nausea and sickness took their
Nine-year-old Andy has a rare, progressive and degenerative central nervous system disorder that deteriorates coordination, motor abilities, and cognitive function. His mobility is restricted by where his motorized wheelchair can take him. He lives on a big lot in Ham Lake and he loves visiting his grandparents farm. Unfortunately, he is unable to go into
Evan has battled a congenital heart disorder every day of his eighteen years of life. He is a triplet from Rochester and his close-knit family cherishes the time they spend together. In addition to his interest in keeping up with professional sports teams from the NBA, NFL and MLS; he also enjoys video games and has
We are proud to tout this speedy wish for 12-year-old Bryce from Rosemount. Bryce has serious respiratory issues that have caused active airway disease in addition to dwarfism. Regardless of the issues surrounding his ability to breathe normally, he is an active kid and one of his 14 siblings(!) shares his passion for exotic cars.
15-year-old Rob was an outgoing, playful young man – until last November when he was tragically diagnosed with a high grade brain tumor. He was immediately treated with aggressive therapy, but the cancer had already metastized and there was nothing more that could be done to save his life. He was no longer home in
All things are not created equal for siblings and that goes for triplets as well. Victor, a triplet from Columbia Heights, was born with a rare syndrome called Polymicrogyria that, among other things, causes epileptic episodes. This sweet 10-year-old shares many things with his brothers, but fortunately they don’t share this diagnosis. As Victor has gotten
Cazen is a precocious young teen from Austin, MN who loves everything from hunting for fossils, metal detecting and panning for gold – to playing video games and having Nerf wars. Cazen has B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and throughout his treatment, he was able to put a lot of thought into his wish. He carefully
Samy is incredibly strong, but it isn’t the kind of strength that comes from the gym. It’s a strength from within. He also has an abundance of grit and resilience from a battlefield that was a result of remarkably serious birth defects. This 19-year-old has endured more than we can imagine as a result of
Reuven is a teenager from New Hope who came to us in 2018 after receiving a diagnosis of a Brain Tumor. This young man is very spiritual and his Jewish heritage is held very closely to his identity and heart. He attends a Jewish boarding school to fully immerse in his studies and, consequently, told
On December 31st, 2020 after experiencing a fever that she just couldn’t kick, Anja was admitted to Children’s and a parent’s worst fear was realized – liver cancer! Throughout her treatments, Anja experienced some bumps in the road with complications that required more surgeries than originally expected. It also meant many, many long days of
David’s mom was five months pregnant when she learned that the baby she was carrying would be born with an extremely complicated heart defect. She knew, before she was able to hold him in her arms, that he would require three heart surgeries. His first one was when he was 6 months old and that
Our goal at Wishes & More is to grant, to the biggest extent possible, the heartfelt wish of a child. One of the most challenging wishes to grant is a “Wish to Meet” opportunity because we have to rely completely on the person the wish child requests to meet. Aaliyah’s wish was to meet a
People from all over the world come to our very own Mayo Clinic in Rochester to receive top-notch treatment. Our precious little wish child is one of them. Four year old Marie-Martins came from Nigeria to receive her treatments for Pineal Blastoma (a brain tumor). Not only is she undergoing traumatic and intense treatments, she’s
Thanksgiving wasn’t the same for many people this year; for Karson, it was VERY different as he spent it in anticipation of his Wish Day on FRIDAY! This six-year-old struggles with spina bifida, hydrocephalus, chiari malformation, and neurogenic bowel & bladder (inability to control,) and yet this bundle of energy doesn’t let any of these difficulties slow
