Make-A-Wish Hawaii is celebrating its 40th anniversary of granting over 1,500 local wishes and assisting with 17,000 wishes from kids from mainland chapters.
“With the help of the Big Island community, Make-A-Wish Hawaii has granted hundreds of life-changing wishes for Hawaii Island children fighting critical illness over the past 40 years,” said MAWH President and CEO Trini Kaopoiki Clark. “Each year, about 100 local keiki across the islands are newly diagnosed with a critical illness, and it is our vision to grant every eligible child’s wish.”
The organization began in September 1982, when businessman Jack Sanford granted Albert, a 10-year-old with leukemia from Hilo, his wish of visiting Disneyland. Ever since, the organization and its growing team of over 400 volunteers have helped turn keiki’s wishes into a reality.
Hilo resident Camryn was 10 when she was granted her wish in October 2019 for a sensory spot in her home, a colorful playroom filled with a ball-pit, swing and space for creative activities.
Camryn was diagnosed with HANAC syndrome and cerebral palsy when she was 6 months old, experiencing up to 30 seizures a day. Now, Camryn is a teenager and continues to enjoy the room she wished for.
“We chose this because it’s something that she can grow with, not just a one-time thing,” said her father, Duane. “Her likes and dislikes change, but the room can grow with her, and is a place where she can just kick back and play with her sisters.”
Their experience with MAWH allowed the family to fly to Oahu to meet with the Philpotts Interiors design team to convey exactly what they wanted for the room.
“It was really easy to talk to them. We met with the designers and Make-A-Wish people and went through Camryn’s likes and dislikes and what we wanted to see in the room,” said Camryn’s mother, Jennifer. “Everyone is just really friendly, easy to talk to, and they make you feel like family from day one.”
The couple was grateful for MAWH’s expanded scope, granting wishes to a variety of children and not just those terminally ill.
“It’s a common misconception that the diagnosis must be terminal,” Clark said. “In actuality, most wish children go on to recover from their illnesses and frequently tell us that they look back on their wishes as sources of hope and strength during their journey.”
Mckella, a lymphoma survivor from Ocean View, had her wish granted in December 2017 to attend the National Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Often seen riding horses in Ka‘u, Mckella was able to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Thomas and Mack Center in Vegas and served as the Rodeo Princess in Hawaii at the Oahu Rope for Wishes rodeo at Kualoa Ranch.
Donovan, a 13-year-old from Waipahu, Oahu, with sickle cell anemia, had his wish granted to become a volcanologist in December 2015.
With the help and support of professional scientists and educators from the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Donovan was able to use tools and conduct research from a helicopter at Kilauea volcano.
“It was such a unique wish in that he wants to be a volcanologist,” said Amy Sterry, COO of MAWH. “By the end of the wish, you couldn’t help but be as excited about volcanoes erupting or anything else as he was or as anybody else in the room. It was just an amazing experience to watch and just to see him overflow with joy.”
Children are selected to participate in the program through referrals from a medical provider, parent, legal guardian or other family members with knowledge about the child’s condition.
“Once eligibility is confirmed, our wish team and local volunteers work to discover the child’s most heartfelt wish,” said Clark. “Medical providers also often state that a wish can be an integral part of a child’s treatment plan — the anticipation of a wish coming true encourages keiki and their families to envision brighter days ahead and can even help them better adhere to their treatments.”
Clark first joined MAWH in January 2019 after working as the host and producer of KHON2’s “Living808.”
“When I joined Make-A-Wish Hawaii, I was eager to translate my fundraising background into making a difference in the lives of children fighting critical illness,” she said. “Navigating a diagnosis and subsequent treatment is often a devastating, stressful time for the entire family, but a wish has the unique power to infuse courage and imagination into that otherwise very difficult journey.”
When MAWH reaches out to families, initial reactions range from excitement to nervousness and skepticism.
“Sometimes families can be hesitant at first,” said Clark. “Eligibility for a wish is often an emotional reminder that their child is fighting a critical illness, and the misconception that wishes are only for children with terminal diagnoses can compound that. However, once eligibility and the purpose of a wish is explained, families and children really start dreaming of the possibilities and embracing the process.”
Camryn’s parents Duane and Jessica also encouraged nervous parents to embrace the opportunity.
“Just to see the face of that boy or girl for that day is life-changing for a parent, and I would assume the same for the child itself,” said Duane. “I would suggest parents that haven’t heard about them, haven’t dealt with them, see if you can have a wish through Make-A-Wish Hawaii. We hope they can have the same experience that we had.”
The organization is working on several wishes they hope to grant this year, including 10-year-old Chelton from Hilo who wishes to have a batting cage and baseball gear.
“We are also working on wishes to go to Walt Disney World, bedroom makeovers and gaming wishes, and even a wish to catch a wave with Kelly Slater,” Clark said.
To celebrate the organization’s anniversary, MAWH will be hosting events on several islands throughout the month of August.
On Aug. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., MAWH will be hosting a free Big Island event at Queens’ Marketplace in Waikoloa featuring live entertainment, keiki activities, prize giveaways and more.
Additional details about the event, ways to get involved, and more information on the power of a wish can be found at hawaii.wish.org.
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com.