Make a Wish...
A dream come true organization.
You make a wish and BOOM - you get your wish.
How cool is that?
I have several boys who wish they could Make a Wish.
But there's a catch.
It's not for everyone.
It's a program for children who are considered terminal. Children who are fighting for their lives.
Children who face a grim future.
It's a program to bring a smile to their faces.
Give them laughter in the midst.
Give them hope.
Make a Wish in the midst of their hard...
Let that Wish bring a bit of Joy.
I didn't ever consider one of my children would make the list.
I didn't ever want one of my children to make that list.
Mary did.
When we were told she qualified I felt like my breath had been knocked out of me.
NOOOO....
Not my girl.
She's too tough.
She's too resilient.
She's oh so fragile.
Her roller coaster of seizures keep us constantly on edge.
Just when we think we have them figured out - they change.
Just when we think we have beaten the beast back in one area - it pops up in another area.
When things are going well, we count our days by how many have passed without status.
When she is tanking, we count our days by how many hours without status.
Up and down.
The seizures have damaged her language centers. They make learning difficult.
We have had to come to terms with the reality that she's not going to advance in school like our other children.
She has the official 'intellectually disabled' diagnosis.
She is untamed and wild. Parking lots add gray to my hair. She flits here and there - we can never rest when she is out and about.
She is quick to love and quick to rage in anger when she doesn't get her way.
We call her impstress and tyrant and crazy girl.
She says what she thinks and bosses like she owns the world.
She wins hearts with her impish grin. She hugs big and loves her peoples with passion.
We count our blessings over her.
She doesn't suffer with the 50+ body slamming drops she did a year or so ago.
Some days the little seizures that plague her all day disappear.
Other days - like yesterday - she begins and ends her day in status.
We rescued her last night in the parking lot at UVA after watching the men play soccer.
It's a never ending never ending.
She's a Make a Wish child.
She couldn't tell us what she wanted so we wished for a playground for little girl...
A place of adventure and imagination.
A safe place to climb and play without fear of falling.
A place where she can make some fun memories.
We made a Wish for a Little Girl.
And her wish was granted.
Thank you MAKE A WISH!!