While talking to other bleeding disorder parents online one day, one of them mentioned that she had known someone with hemophilia that had her child's wish granted through the amazing Make a Wish Foundation. After asking relatives and friends their opinions of whether or not this was something I should look into. . . I decided there was no harm in just filling out the form on line and to be honest with the on going controversy over whether bleeding disorders are life threatening left me feeling pretty skeptical. Within 2 weeks, the Make a Wish Greater Bay Area office got hold of me to have a phone interview. During this interview I gave them a lot of contact info about my husband and I as well as some info about Scarlett's bleeding disorder. They told me the next step would be getting hold of her hematologist and getting approved that Scarlett has a life threatening illness. After I heard from them to he honest I didn't think we would hear back from them. I had gone to Scarlett's hematologist during this time for her quarterly check up and they had mentioned that Make A Wish got hold of them, but that had been almost a month prior and they hadn't heard anything sense. . .
About 3 months after I had originally submitted my form was when we got the acceptance letter in the mail. . . . I had such a mix of different emotions as I opened up the letter to read the contents of what were inside. I was anxious, nervous, feeling a little guilty, but most importantly excited for Scarlett getting the opportunity to experience something like this. I was already crying and I didn't even know what was inside. The letter had a big printing on the front that said "Your wish is coming true" there already was such an element of surprise and I hadn't even opened it yet.
Upon opening the letter the first words that I read were "are you ready for your biggest dreams to come true?" The letter went on to explain that Scarlett had been approved and within 14-21 days we would be contacted by one of their wish team members who are trained and dedicated to making Scarlett's wish come true. The packet that they sent us also had a page for Scarlett to color and write down some of her wishes. They obviously encourage parents to not get involved and suggest wishes to them and really let the children's wildest dreams lead them in making there wish. So we briefly discussed with Scarlett that an amazing group of people were going to try to help make her wishes come true and that I wanted her to tell me what some of her wishes were. They traditionally break down wishes into 4 categories. . .
If I could be anything. . .
she responded "I want to be a zookeeper"
If I could have anything. . .
she responded "I would have a magic cape that could make me fly"
If I could go anywhere. . .
she responded "Disneyworld, because I want to be in the parade"
and If I could meet anyone. . .
she responded first "Cinderella", but by the time her wish team came she had changed it to "Sophia the First"
After the excitement of getting the letter we decided to stop talking about it for awhile because we didn't know exactly when we would be hearing from her team and didn't want her to get obsessed with the idea. We had gotten the letter in the beginning of December so it was easy to let the holidays consume us. . . Soon after the New Year, Briana contacted us to set up a time the following week to come to our home and meet Scarlett and the family. She explained there would be two team members, Briana-who was coming to talk logistics and to fill out all the paperwork with my husband and I and Kristen-who would be coming to talk to Scarlett about her biggest wish.
The following Wednesday they came, already giving Scarlett her first surprise as they walked in the door (an amazing coloring book)! Scarlett instantly felt comfortable with Briana and Kristen asking them if they wanted to see her room. As they followed her into her room it was instantly clear that Disney characters and Animals were a HUGE part of Scarlett's life since her room is filled with both.
We left them to chat and Briana sat down with my husband and I to explain the next process. . .
Once Scarlett expressed her one true wish (GOING TO DISNEYWORLD) her team would then start the planning process. They explained that they would do everything they could to grant her wish and had a back up wish if her doctors were to say she couldn't travel out of state. (her back up wish was to have a Barbie party) After leaving our house that night we would get contacted by the head office of Make A Wish, greater bay area within 14-21 days and they would confirm the dates for the trip and explain more about the process. They then told us that around two weeks before they will be sending us on our trip that they will be giving Scarlett a Wish Granted Party, filled with (in this case) everything Disney to announce that her wish is granted and she's going to Disneyworld.
I still am in shock all of this is happening and don't think I'll believe it until we are on the plane. It's simply amazing to me that Make A Wish makes these wishes come true and I'm filled with gratitude that Scarlett is now a part of their family.
MORE TO COME
About 3 months after I had originally submitted my form was when we got the acceptance letter in the mail. . . . I had such a mix of different emotions as I opened up the letter to read the contents of what were inside. I was anxious, nervous, feeling a little guilty, but most importantly excited for Scarlett getting the opportunity to experience something like this. I was already crying and I didn't even know what was inside. The letter had a big printing on the front that said "Your wish is coming true" there already was such an element of surprise and I hadn't even opened it yet.
Upon opening the letter the first words that I read were "are you ready for your biggest dreams to come true?" The letter went on to explain that Scarlett had been approved and within 14-21 days we would be contacted by one of their wish team members who are trained and dedicated to making Scarlett's wish come true. The packet that they sent us also had a page for Scarlett to color and write down some of her wishes. They obviously encourage parents to not get involved and suggest wishes to them and really let the children's wildest dreams lead them in making there wish. So we briefly discussed with Scarlett that an amazing group of people were going to try to help make her wishes come true and that I wanted her to tell me what some of her wishes were. They traditionally break down wishes into 4 categories. . .
If I could be anything. . .
she responded "I want to be a zookeeper"
If I could have anything. . .
she responded "I would have a magic cape that could make me fly"
If I could go anywhere. . .
she responded "Disneyworld, because I want to be in the parade"
and If I could meet anyone. . .
she responded first "Cinderella", but by the time her wish team came she had changed it to "Sophia the First"
After the excitement of getting the letter we decided to stop talking about it for awhile because we didn't know exactly when we would be hearing from her team and didn't want her to get obsessed with the idea. We had gotten the letter in the beginning of December so it was easy to let the holidays consume us. . . Soon after the New Year, Briana contacted us to set up a time the following week to come to our home and meet Scarlett and the family. She explained there would be two team members, Briana-who was coming to talk logistics and to fill out all the paperwork with my husband and I and Kristen-who would be coming to talk to Scarlett about her biggest wish.
The following Wednesday they came, already giving Scarlett her first surprise as they walked in the door (an amazing coloring book)! Scarlett instantly felt comfortable with Briana and Kristen asking them if they wanted to see her room. As they followed her into her room it was instantly clear that Disney characters and Animals were a HUGE part of Scarlett's life since her room is filled with both.
We left them to chat and Briana sat down with my husband and I to explain the next process. . .
Once Scarlett expressed her one true wish (GOING TO DISNEYWORLD) her team would then start the planning process. They explained that they would do everything they could to grant her wish and had a back up wish if her doctors were to say she couldn't travel out of state. (her back up wish was to have a Barbie party) After leaving our house that night we would get contacted by the head office of Make A Wish, greater bay area within 14-21 days and they would confirm the dates for the trip and explain more about the process. They then told us that around two weeks before they will be sending us on our trip that they will be giving Scarlett a Wish Granted Party, filled with (in this case) everything Disney to announce that her wish is granted and she's going to Disneyworld.
I still am in shock all of this is happening and don't think I'll believe it until we are on the plane. It's simply amazing to me that Make A Wish makes these wishes come true and I'm filled with gratitude that Scarlett is now a part of their family.
MORE TO COME
Written by,
Kari Peepe
For more on our Make-A-Wish trip and lasting impression please check out:
- Make-A-Wish Part 2-It's Official: WE are going to Florida: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/02/scarlett-makes-wish-part-2.html
- Make-A-Wish Part 3-Wish Reveal Party: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/03/scarletts-make-wish-reveal-party.html
- Make-A-Wish Part 4- Dear Make
- A-Wish and GKTW: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-most-amazing-thing-i-could-never.html
- Make-A-Wish Part 5-Give Kids the World, GO to your happy place: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/04/go-to-your-happy-place-give-kids-world.html
- Make-A-Wish Part 6-A lasting impression:http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-lasting-impression.html
- Scarlett's story on Make-A-Wish, SF Bay Area: http://sf.wish.org/wishes/wish-stories/copy-of-i-wish-to-go/scarlett-disney-world
- Here's the piece I wrote for Give Kids the World: http://www.gktw.org/blog/our-happy-place/
- The gift of giving/How Make-A-Wish has taught Scarlet to give back: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-gift-of-giving.html
Written by,
Kari Peepe
- Make-A-Wish Part 2-It's Official: WE are going to Florida: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/02/scarlett-makes-wish-part-2.html
- Make-A-Wish Part 3-Wish Reveal Party: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/03/scarletts-make-wish-reveal-party.html
- Make-A-Wish Part 4- Dear Make
- A-Wish and GKTW: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-most-amazing-thing-i-could-never.html
- Make-A-Wish Part 5-Give Kids the World, GO to your happy place: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/04/go-to-your-happy-place-give-kids-world.html
- Make-A-Wish Part 6-A lasting impression:http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-lasting-impression.html
- Scarlett's story on Make-A-Wish, SF Bay Area: http://sf.wish.org/wishes/wish-stories/copy-of-i-wish-to-go/scarlett-disney-world
- Here's the piece I wrote for Give Kids the World: http://www.gktw.org/blog/our-happy-place/
- The gift of giving/How Make-A-Wish has taught Scarlet to give back: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-gift-of-giving.html
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