A wish inspires hope...

Diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, 11-year-old Stefanie said it never occurred to her that she might die. What she said she does remember, was how hard it was on her family. While she was brave, it was not easy on Stefanie, either. A self-professed "girly-girl," the loss of her hair from chemotherapy treatments was devastating. Just as traumatic, as a young socially conscious sixth-grader, was being left out of activities her peers were enjoying. She said, "Once there was a party and they didn't invite me 'cause they didn't want to catch cancer." An incident like that for any pre-teen girl would be heartbreaking, but for one fighting for life it could have been demoralizing at the very time she needed to stay most positive.

Thankfully, it was about the same time a very special organization came into Stefanie's life: the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Stefanie said, "A volunteer came to the house and she popped the official question, 'What do you wish for?'"After that, Stefanie said, nothing was the same. Stefanie's wish was for a Walt Disney World vacation. There were many wonderful moments Stefanie shared with her family, but the most empowering moments for this young cancer patient were the ones she spent on her own --- on the thrill ride "Tower of Terror." She said, "I was the only one in my family who went on! I felt like the daredevil!" Stefanie said, "I definitely had a sense of I'm like any other kid right now. I can do anything."

She needed those positive thoughts as her battle went on for two years, including a scary relapse, but through it all memories of her wish kept her strong. Now at 23 she is a healthy college graduate of Fordham University enrolled in a graduate program at Columbia University. Stefanie never forgot the power of her wish and has stayed active with the Foundation. She started fundraising at only 14 years of age with a garage sale that raised $500 for the organization that gave her a fresh outlook on life. Fast-forward from a $500 garage sale to a $5,000 fashion show Stefanie instituted at Fordham that continues to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York. Stefanie is a force to be reckoned with. Since her graduation she has passed the controlling reins of that event onto other Fordham students, but she still plays a hands-on role in the fundraiser.

Though Stefanie herself hasn't reached her quarter-century mark, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has and this year will be celebrating 25 years of making wishes come true. This year, Make-A-Wish also anticipates another impressive milestone, granting its 7,000th wish.

Even a simple wish has enormous power...

Of the close to 7,000 wishes that have already been granted by the Metro New York chapter of Make-A-Wish, which is headquartered in Lake Success, CEO and president Pat Clemency has been around for all of them. Pat began at Make-A-Wish as a volunteer in 1983 and joined the staff in 1988. The wish she found to be one of the most inspiring was also incredibly simple. An 8-year-old boy, André, who suffered from hydrocephalus, wanted a birthday party in his backyard with M&M's on his cake. His community came out in force to help make the youngster's birthday an unforgettable event. There were clowns, magicians, face painters, a 55-piece marching band and yes, there were M&M's on his cake. The challenge was to fulfill his wish in a small window of time --- two weeks between what Pat said were the boy's 23rd and 24th operations.

André, who is now a healthy young man, married and expecting his first child, was so grateful that following his party he donated a penny jar he kept under his bed with $37 worth of change. He said he wanted to help make another child's wish come true. That penny jar remains at the Make-A-Wish office as a reminder and a symbol of the power a wish has to make those touched by a wish want to give back to others.

A legacy of love...

Jay Patrick is a Make-A-Wish employee who truly illustrates how one wish can keep giving. Jay's twin brother, Rian, was diagnosed at 16 with a cancer--a brain tumor. Jay said, "His wish was to meet his favorite comedian, Chevy Chase." Jay explained, "We grew up watching his movies, the vacation movies, Caddy Shack, Fletch... Our life together was all about making each other laugh."

The Make-A-Wish Foundation granted Rian his wish with a trip for his family to Los Angeles where Chevy at the time was hosting his own talk show. Rian received a backstage tour of the studio where Chevy's talk show was shot, watched the taping of the show then got to meet not only his favorite comedian, but also a guest on the talk show, comedian Martin Short. Jay said the experience for his brother was life-changing. He said it kept Rian's spirits high during his battle with cancer, to which he unfortunately succumbed at the age of 22. Jay said his brother was given one year to live, but went on to live for four-and-a-half years and Jay believes his positive attitude, much of which he attributes to his wish, helped him outlive the doctor's prognosis. Jay said, "Ever since that day I've wanted to help other families experience what we experienced."

A year ago, Jay got his wish in a way he hadn't anticipated. Though he had volunteered for some years on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, this past September Jay celebrated his first anniversary as an employee at the organization he feels had such a strong impact on his brother. To remind him of his commitment to the Foundation he has a picture of Rian, Martin Short and Chevy Chase on his office wall, a picture Jay affectionately calls The Three Amigos.

Volunteers make wishes come true...

Philip Kirk, who helps with Make-A-Wish volunteer training, became involved after his son Michael, then a high school freshman, was battling leukemia. He was diagnosed in 1995 after Michael's mom, Jacqueline, a nurse, implored her son's pediatrician to do blood tests, knowing her son's color just looked wrong. Michael, at the time, was a model train enthusiast and his wish was for a replica Long Island Rail Road car.

Now Michael is a healthy 26-year-old Fordham graduate and both mom and dad are active volunteers for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They have done tasks as simple as gift-wrapping, and signing people in at events, clerical work at the Make-A-Wish headquarters in Lake Success and public speaking.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York is always actively recruiting volunteers who want to be part of the magic and the power of making wishes come true. The variety of volunteer positions is vast with something for just about everyone who wants to be involved. Relying heavily on volunteers is one way the Make-A-Wish Foundation is able to put 78 cents of every dollar toward granting wishes.

Become a part of the magic of a wish ...

Volunteer! Join the dedicated volunteer team of over 760 individuals who donate their time and varied skills. Volunteer positions and training are available for eight different categories, including wish granting, special events, speaker's bureau and administrative support.

Refer an eligible child. All children between the ages of 2-and-a-half and 18 years who are diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition and have not been granted a wish yet may be eligible. The child's treating physician makes the determination of whether the child is medically eligible. Children are referred to the Foundation by their parents or guardians, by members of the medical community and sometimes, children refer themselves. If you are a parent or guardian living in the five boroughs of New York City and Nassau County and would like to refer your child, please call (212) 505-WISH.

Donate! In this season of sharing and caring, help make a child's dream come true! Your financial or in-kind (i.e., goods or services) contributions help Make-A-Wish to keep its promise to grant the wishes of all eligible children in their community.

For more information, please call (212) 505-WISH or visit www.metrony.wish.org