Make-A-Wish foundation is all about helping kids with life threatening diseases. The foundation started when a 7-year old boy named Chris Greicius was diagnosed with leukemia. From the beginning of his diagnosis, they knew he probably wasn’t going to make it. Chris had wanted to be a police officer, and Agent Tommy Austin was bound to make that happen. One day, Chris and his family were gifted with seeing a police motorcycle, helicopter, and a patrol car. Along with that, Chris even got a hat, a uniform, and his own badge. They even got Chris a small battery-operated motorcycle that he rode through cones to become an official Department of Public Safety officer. Four days after his dream came true, Chris passed away. Agent Tommy Austin says, “He was only seven years, 269 days old when he died. But he taught me about being a man. Even though he was only a boy. I can tell you that because of meeting Chris, I am an entirely different man.” Ron Cox said the same thing. He said he didn’t fear death anymore, because he knew Chris would be there waiting for him.

After going to Chris’s funeral, members of the community  began to hear what they had done for him. This is when they thought every kid should deserve this. That summer, a group of people came together and made it official, the Make-A-Wish foundation. By the following spring, they had made $2000 and were able to grant their first official wish. The first Wish kid, Frank Salazar, had three wishes. He wanted to be a fireman, go to Disneyland, and ride in a hot-air balloon. With the help of the organization, all of Frank’s wishes came true. The day he came back home, he was sent to the hospital, where he passed away later that night.

Currently, in 2016, more than 270,000 children in the US have had their wishes granted. Make-A-Wish even has a fundraising lacrosse team here in CT. Each player on the team has a goal to raise $500, which all goes to help kids experience one last great thing. In my opinion, Make-A-Wish is a fantastic organization and it helps so many kids get that one last chance to do something remarkable. If make-A-Wish wasn’t a foundation, then so many kids wouldn’t be able to have their dreams come true. When kids are on their trip, it helps them forget that they have a life-threatening illness. I believe that everyone should live life to the fullest, and Make-A-Wish gives kids that option.

~Kaylee