A Hero is Born
By wish dad, Ryan
“I want to tell you a story about my hero — my son, Price. At the age of seven, he has exhibited more courage and bravery than I have seen in most adults.
Born with an undiagnosed cleft palette and lip, his first moments were spent under close watch in the NICU. While the wonderful and compassionate nurses were teaching me, a first-time dad, how to feed him with a special bottle, a doctor was carefully listening to his heart.
The next thing I knew, we were on our way to Seattle Children’s Hospital where an echocardiogram revealed that Price had hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Simply put, the left side of his heart was underdeveloped, and he would need a series of surgeries to survive.
By the time Price was five, he had undergone numerous heart catheterizations, three heart surgeries, a surgery to repair his cleft lip and soft palette, and lots of therapy – occupational, physical and feeding.
When you have a child with a critical illness, it can feel incredibly isolating, alone and scary. But that journey is also punctuated with moments of tremendous joy, compassion and support. One of those moments for our family was Price’s wish journey.”
The Making of a Superhero
By wish mom, Jodi
“Price’s wish to battle and defeat robots was so fitting of his personality. Our son is one-part beautiful, cerebral complex thinker; balanced by one-half creativity, passion, sensitivity and kindness. Choosing to do something extraordinary and heroic as his wish was the perfect choice for him.
And, although I wouldn’t have had the bandwidth to plan his wish on my own, Make-A-Wish went over, above and beyond to find solutions and make his wish a reality. They created the most inspired wish day that put my son in the driver’s seat: from the planning to execution. His wish allowed him to control his own destiny, something that is very difficult to do for children with critical illnesses.
On his wish day, his volunteer showed up to our home with a superhero costume in hand so Price would see himself as a hero. From there, they took him on an elaborate scavenger hunt from one iconic Seattle location to the next. The first stop was T-Mobile Park where the Mariner Moose gave him a shield. Then, it was off to the Seattle Art Museum where he was gifted a sword. No superhero can defeat a crazed robot on the loose threatening to destroy the city without powering up on vegetables, so we stopped for a snack at Frank’s Produce in Pike Place Market. Then, it was off to the Space Needle for the final showdown.
This was his time to shine. He slipped on a virtual reality (VR) headset and he was immersed into the world that he had imagined so vividly, one specially created just for him.
This took an army of volunteers from the Virtual World Society (VWS) and the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE), many of whom were students who never even met my son.
His wish reminded us of the strong community we have. We were reminded of just how many people are rooting for us (and Price), cheering us on and supporting us in all these amazing ways.
This project was a labor of love all to help a little boy who was born with the odds stacked against him. Their act of kindness did more than simply grant a wish in that moment. They strengthened his spirit, boosted his confidence and resuscitated our souls as wish parents. This day forever changed our lives.”
Meet the Team Who Designed Price’s Wish
Price’s family was shocked at the sheer number of people involved in making his wish possible. From his wish-granting volunteers to the Make-A-Wish staff to the VWS and the AIE, his wish took an army 9 months to build.
Price’s wish was a first for our chapter. The elaborate plot was woven into both the real and digital worlds to create a fully immersive wish experience unlike anything our local chapter has ever created.
Hear from those behind the scenes about how they worked together to fulfill his wish and, in the process, changed lives (including their own)!
You can transform kids like Price when you invest in our mission.
Wishes for kids like Price are possible because donors and volunteers like you believe in the power of a wish. You help wish kids rise above their illnesses. Last year, because of you:
We take pride in our stewardship of our financial resources, leveraging generous philanthropic support with donated goods and volunteer services.
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Direct program expense was low this fiscal year due to a slowdown in wish delivery as a result of COVID restrictions.
As of 8/31/20 | |
Revenues, Gains and Other Support | $6,546,079 |
Program Expenses | $4,585,606 |
Fundraising | $964,823 |
Management and General | $1,822,102 |
Total Expenses | $7,331,991 |
Net Surplus/(Deficit) | ($825,912) |
[1]This Gratitude Report reflect our unaudited financial statements. Our annual financial statements are audited by the independent auditing firm CliftonLarsonAllen LLP.