Three-year-old Chris is a funny, outgoing and headstrong child. He likes powerful vehicles like monster trucks and construction equipment. When he’s outside, he plays with his toy excavator or on his Power Wheel, and when he’s inside, he races toy cars. “He loves anything with tires,” his mother said.
Besides for motorized vehicles, Chris also enjoys camping. However, Chris has cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system, and camping trips usually only last one night due to his treatments.
Chris' love of camping and conveyances made his camper wish an easy choice. A camper provides the fun of camping with the safety of being at home. He added one caveat to the wish; he wanted bunk beds. “I don’t know what intrigues him about bunk beds, but that was the main feature he wanted in his RV,” his mother said.
|
|
Blue Dog RV in Post Falls, Idaho offered to help with the wish. They provided a 2020 Hideout RV and defrayed the cost significantly. They also held a party for Chris on their lot to celebrate the wish. Chris smiled and his eyes beamed wide when he saw his camper for the first time. He was delighted to find bunk beds inside.
When Chris and family took the camper home, Chris immediately tried to move into it. He gathered up all his toys and clothes and brought them out to the camper. Although his parents wouldn’t allow their three-year-old son to take up permanent residence in the camper, they let him sleep in it sometimes under supervision. The camper has also made him popular with his friends who come over often to play in it.
Chris and his family are currently planning a getaway to the lake for a little rest and relaxation.
|
|
I have had the pleasure of serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Make-A-Wish
®
Idaho since 2019.
I am absolutely in love with the mission of Make-A-Wish!
My responsibilities are fundraising, strategy, board development and community relations. Prior to coming to Make-A-Wish, I worked with several nonprofits, including WHW, the Boy Scouts and the YMCA. Being involved in granting wishes is definitely the best experience I’ve ever had!
|
|
I live in Star with my husband Rich, and we have 4 kids: Christian, Benjamin, Morgan and Joey. Morgan and Joey will be attending Boise State in the fall. Go Broncos!
Our fur kids are our dog Molly and our cats Lucas and Julius. In my spare time, I sing lead in a barbershop quartet! I also volunteer as a wish granter and wish pal, and I am a member of the Rotary Club of Boise Southwest.
|
|
Tyler and I are a wish-granting pair and a pair in real life. We’ve been married for just over six years and are expecting our first baby in November! Tyler is an Idaho native, and I moved here with my family when I was five. We first met in high school in 2007.
Tyler and I became wish granters because we love the Make-A-Wish mission. But we also did it for selfish reasons: we needed a shared hobby. We each enjoy different, independent things.(He’s a gamer; I’m a reader.) But when we became a wish-granting pair, we found something we could do together, and bonus—it made us feel good.
Our first wish child was a two-year-old little girl who loved Mickey Mouse. When we went to her family’s house, Tyler and I wore our bride-and-groom Mickey ears.
Today, I volunteer as a member of Make-A-Wish Idaho’s Young Leader Board. It’s been an awesome experience getting to see more of the organization from the inside while helping to shape our priorities going forward.
|
|
The most fulfilling part of wish granting has been meeting these resilient kids and families. When you meet a wish kid, they don’t want to talk about their treatments or their illnesses—though if they do talk about it, you’ll hear medical jargon you can’t even pronounce.
They want to talk about dinosaurs or soccer or all the ways their siblings drive them crazy. Even the kids who wear their illness on the outside can’t be daunted.
And the families, too, are incredible. The closer we get to having a son of our own, the more inspiring they become. In the face of uncertainty and despair, they carry on. I’ve never met anyone more deserving of good news than the moms and dads we’ve met who’ve been through hell with a sick kid. We love that Make-A-Wish has given us the opportunity to give them some good news and to see their family’s strength and courage up close.
|
|
Thank you to all of our wish families, volunteers, donors and friends for your support of Make-A-Wish Idaho! COVID-19 has impacted so many aspects of our lives, and we simply want to thank you for your unwavering support of making wishes come true. Although we have many wishes on hold due to travel restrictions and social distancing, we continue to grant some very special wishes throughout the state of Idaho.
We couldn’t do it without your support! For our wish families, thank you for your patience as we navigate these new circumstances. For our volunteers, thank you for continuing to make our wish kids and families feel special and creating excitement for their wishes. For our donors who invest in the mission, thank you for giving us the ability to work our magic. And to our community as a whole, thank you for all you do to allow us to give life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. Your support creates hope. Now more than ever, hope is essential.
|
|
Join Us for the Annual Magic Valley Walk for Wishes!
Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Walk for Wishes is an event that celebrates wishes that have been granted in Idaho, while raising funds for future wishes. Sign up today as a sponsor, walk team or volunteer. There is no registration fee, though we ask participants to raise $100 or more to help us grant more wishes to Idaho wish kids.
September 26, 2020
9:00 a.m. Registration
10:00 a.m. Program Begins
10:30 a.m. Walk Begins
Location :Twin Falls Visitors Center
|
|
Have you ever wondered about becoming more involved with Make-A-Wish Idaho? If you love children, enjoy being creative and have great attention to detail, consider becoming a wish pal.
Wish pals are volunteer wish granters who help wish kids look forward to positive things during difficult times - something that couldn't be more relevant now.
Email jthomas@idaho.wish.org for more information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
