Dream Weavers

inToledo  |  03/24/2009 7:00 am

Twenty-five years ago, Marcy McMahon was watching a news program about a local Phoenix, Arizona charity called Make A Wish that made it their mission to grant the wishes of children with terminal illnesses. At the time, the charity was granting only its second wish for a child who wanted to be a fireman.

"At the time," said McMahon, "the little boy was too sick to leave the hospital, so a crew took a ladder truck up to his hospital room. They made him feel very special. I was really inspired. At the time, I was pregnant and I decided that if my child was healthy I would find a way to help children who weren't so lucky."

McMahon called the Make A Wish office in Phoenix. So, apparently, did everyone else who saw the television spot. The group received so many phone calls that they decided to create a national organization with chapters around the country.

McMahon became the founder of Make-A-Wish Northwest Ohio and she had been a tireless board member, wish-granter and fundraiser over the past quarter century.

Along the way, the foundation changed its mission from granting the wishes of terminally ill children to making wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions. "We learned that our criteria were not helpful to parents who didn't want to give up on their children," said McMahon.

"Granting a wish can have an amazing effect on a family. The parents have something to think about other than illness, maybe for the first time in a long time. The child has something to look forward to. Doctors will sometimes tell us that the blood tests are coming back better. I love wish-granting, but right now, I'm doing what I love and what I think I do best, which is fundraising," said McMahon. "It takes an average of $5,000 to grant each wish. By the end of 2009, the Northwest Ohio chapter will have granted 2,500 wishes in 21 Northwest Ohio counties over the past 25 years."

The most common wish is a trip to Disney World, but sometimes Make-A-Wish can turn a sick child into a celebrity. Recently, the Northwest Ohio Chapter took wish child Destanee and her mother to New York to fulfill her wish of becoming a model. With the help of the New Your chapter, the photo shoot became a star-studded event that will occupy a portion of an upcoming O, the Oprah Winfrey magazine.

Kimberly Ray, Wish Program Manager for Make A Wish Foundation of Northwest Ohio describes Destanee wish fulfillment this way:

There were four wish kids having their wishes granted that day. Photographer Nigel Barker, is very hands on, and a little bit of a flirt, so every time he would come over to help the girls pose they would get all giggly and turn bright red. I would estimate that each wish child had about an hour in front of the camera with Nigel. It took so long because after every couple of photos the hair and makeup team swoop in to touch up the models.

Destanee, our Northwest Ohio wish kid, was a natural in front of the camera and stole the show! She looked absolutely stunning, as if she was made for the life of a model. Her mom was a little more reserved, but they looked great together!

Throughout the day, professional models stopped by to say hello and give the girls pointers. Gayle King, editor-at-large for O, and actress and supermodel, Brooke Shields, also made appearances. You should have seen the looks on the kids faces when they spotted the celebrities. Brooke was as sweet as can be, and even brought her 2-year-old daughter, Greer, with her. Entertainment Tonight came to the shoot to film the wish so the girls did a lot of interviews throughout the day.

We finally finished up around 6pm and the girls each got to keep a dress! They also got to keep all the swag and arrangements were made to have all the stuff shipped home to the wish kids.

With Blackberry in hand, McMahon is busy helping with the details of this year's ambitious 25th Anniversary calendar, with an event scheduled for each month of the year. The schedule includes an April Tennis Tournament, a July Day at the Toledo Zoo and the November 25th Anniversary Celebration.

For the kids, the big event will be the Annual Holiday Party. "The wish-granters host a Holiday Party for current and former wish children from over 21 counties in northwest Ohio," said Sue Koester, wish-granter and Committee Chair for the Holiday Party. "The afternoon event features crafts, games, clowns, magicians and our special guest Santa. Every wish child leaves with a gift and the siblings go home with a special treat. Gino's Pizza, Rudy's Hotdog, 7 Up Bottling and Wixey's Bakery are among some of the local vendors who make sure the kids have plenty to eat. The last several parties have been held at Springfield High school with an attendance of approximately 500. If you ask any wish granters they will tell you, ?the day is organized chaos, but one of the best times I have ever had.' The holiday party is a time for wish granters to reconnect with their kids. The wish granters brainstorm ideas all year long and in August the party starts to come together. We are never sure who has more fun, the kids or the wish-granters."

by Dennis Hicks