Needy Cases 2021: Make-A-Wish New Jersey continued fulfilling dreams during pandemic
Despite facing the COVID-19 pandemic, Make-A-Wish has continued to find ways to grant wishes and deliver hope and joy to children diagnosed with critical illnesses.
One of those recipients is 5-year-old Luis, who is dealing with gastroparesis, a disease in which the stomach cannot empty itself of food in a normal fashion. He has often been hospitalized with this life-threatening condition.
Because of his sensitive medical condition, Luis, of Sayreville, could not risk being exposed to illness, so he hasn’t had the opportunity to make friends or play with other children. Up until recently, he had never even been to school. So when it was time to decide on a wish, it wasn’t for a trip to Disney World or something equally as grand. He and his family just wanted a playset for the backyard.
“We really don’t take him places much because if he starts to throw up, we might have to get him to a hospital immediately,” said his mother, Sharlene. “You wouldn’t even know anything is wrong with him unless you see an episode happening.”
Sharlene said she cried when Luis first laid eyes on the new wooden playset, courtesy of Make-A-Wish New Jersey.
“The first thing he said was, ‘I’ve got a park in my backyard!’” she said. “He knew he couldn’t go to the park, so this is more valuable than anything else. To some people, it’s just a playset. To me, it’s worth a million dollars.”
Needy Cases Fund 2021: How to help your neighbors in need this holiday season
Michael P. Dominick, director of communications for Make-A-Wish New Jersey, acknowledges that this wish allows Luis to be a kid in a safe way at a time when things are not so safe.
“It’s a reminder that what we do is so important and inspiring,” he said.
Sharlene said it melts her heart when he’s out there playing with his 15-year-old sister.
“I can’t thank Make-A-Wish enough for what this has meant to me and my husband,” she said. “Luis sits in the swing for hours. It’s like he’s free. For a moment in his life, he doesn’t have to worry about anything else.”
For children between the ages of 2 ½ and 18 who have been diagnosed with a critical illness, a wish come true can be a crucial turning point in their recovery. It can be the spark that helps them believe anything is possible and gives them the strength to fight harder against their illnesses.
Dominick said the organization has postponed many dreams for the health and safety of the wish families, but many are still being granted in New Jersey, across the country and around the world. Some of the wishes granted during the pandemic include puppies, campers and wishes to travel to destinations by car, such as the beach, skiing, camping in the mountains and visiting the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Two children with the same wish to become police officers had their wishes granted together with a full day of training and a special swearing-in ceremony by New Jersey State Police Col. Patrick Callahan and other officers from around the state.
“Our mission at Make-A-Wish is to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, and that mission has never wavered, despite the pandemic,” said Dominick.
Since 1983, Make-A-Wish New Jersey has granted more than 11,000 life-changing wishes. About 80% of funds raised are spent directly on wish-granting and related program expenses. The average cost of a wish in New Jersey is about $10,000. Fortunately, the organization has hundreds of volunteers throughout the state who help make these wishes come true. In its most recent fiscal year, Make-A-Wish New Jersey granted more than 250 life-changing wishes, and the organization is planning for significant growth in the coming year.
“Our generous and loyal donor base stood by us and provided us with the vital funds needed to fulfill our mission,” said Dominick. “From private donors to corporate partners, to community events that have returned with new and creative ways to fundraise on our behalf, we have continued to grant every eligible wish that is safe to grant now. Thanks to our supporters, we are confidently and excitedly preparing to grant those wishes that were postponed.”
How to support the Needy Cases Fund
From Nov. 28 to Dec. 5, the Courier News, Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com are focusing on 11 organizations serving Central Jersey as part of the annual Needy Cases Fund.
The Needy Cases Fund is a Central Jersey holiday tradition, stretching back more than seven decades. The community service project has been sponsored by the Home News Tribune and its predecessor, the Daily Home News, working with the Lions Club of New Brunswick. In 2021, the Courier News will again join the Home News Tribune in sponsoring the charity.
Send donations (checks made out to the Needy Cases Fund or cash) to: Needy Cases Fund, Home News Tribune/Courier News, 92 E. Main St., Suite 202, Somerville, NJ 08876. Please do not make checks out to the Courier News Wish Book program this year. Please indicate with a note whether you want to be acknowledged in a wrap-up story about the program, or whether you wish to remain anonymous.
Donations will be gratefully accepted through the end of December.
For any questions, contact Carolyn Sampson at 908-243-6624 or csampson@mycentraljersey.com.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Make-A-Wish New Jersey fulfilling dreams during pandemic
