Savannah’s eyes light up when she’s presented with a blank canvas and a selection of paint colours. The 15-year-old likes to create art and she’s inspired by her favourite films and characters. While she enjoys all types of music, she’s particular about cake – it must be chocolate.
Savannah was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. This type of leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow and can spread quickly if it’s not treated. She had difficulty breathing and was rushed to a specialized treatment centre in a different city. When the mass shrunk, she was sent home to finish her chemotherapy treatments.
“With COVID, things were different – only one parent can visit and no siblings,” explained her mom. “It was hard on all of us to be separated especially with the daily ups and downs of treatment.”
When Savannah learned her wish would be granted, she was very excited. “Her focus shifted from how awful she was feeling to researching things to do and eat at her favourite theme park,” her mom said.
The much-anticipated wish trip to Florida, which was originally scheduled for late September, was cut short because of Hurricane Ian. The family had to evacuate, but the trip was rescheduled. After they finally realized their wish, her mom said one of the best memories was when the whole family watched fireworks after a day of roaming the theme park.
“We were all overrun with emotions,” she recalled. “We cried because something so horrible like childhood cancer turned into something so amazing.”
Savannah and her older brother were also regulars at the pool at Give Kids the World Village, a non-profit resort in Kissimmee, Florida. Seeing her two children together being regular kids meant a lot to the parents.
“Cancer affects everyone in the family, especially siblings,” she said.
Now more than ever, hope is essential for children with critical illnesses. A gift from you today will help us grant wishes and give kids the strength to fight for better days.
When a wish is granted, it does much more than bring joy to a child’s heart. For children like Savannah, who are faced with critical illness, a wish-come-true provides them with strength to battle through darkness and gives them hope for healthier, happier days ahead. Help grant a wish and transform the lives of children in our community with a gift today.
Make-A-Wish® creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We are on a quest to bring every eligible child’s wish to life, because a wish is an integral part of a child’s journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness. As an independently operating affiliate of Make-A-Wish International, Make-A-Wish Canada is part of the network of the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization. We serve children in every community in Canada, and in more than 50 countries worldwide. Make-A-Wish Canada is proudly celebrating 40 years of wish granting in 2023, having granted more than 37,000 wishes since 1983.
WHY WE GRANT WISHES
We believe that each wish experience should be as unique and special as the child who wished for it. With the help of a dedicated team, we give each wish child and their family the personal attention they deserve.
THE FOUR TYPES OF WISHES
Help share the power of a wish®.
There are many ways you can help to bring hope, strength, and joy to children who really need it. No matter how you choose to get involved, when you’re a part of the Make-A-Wish Canada network, the support of generous people like you empowers us to make each wish a reality.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
All funds raised in Southern Alberta support our local wish granting efforts. Right now, we have over 200 eligible kids waiting for wishes in Southern Alberta, with more being referred every day. With the symbolic value of a wish at $10,000, people like you make it possible for us to continue granting life-changing wishes for children facing critical illnesses.
Explore the many ways you can help below or contact us for more details!
DONATE: Give children with critical illnesses a reason to hope for a brighter future and help make their wishes come true!
HOLD A FUNDRAISER: Join friends, family, or colleagues to raise money and bring people together. Whether you’re an individual, employee, organization or community, every bit of support goes a long way to grant the wishes of Southern Alberta children.
SUPPORT AN EVENT OR CAMPAIGN: You can support us through one of our seasonal campaigns or annual events, including:
VOLUNTEER: Give the most valuable gift of all – time. Volunteers hard work, passion and commitment to giving children a magical wish experience make them the heart and soul of our foundation. As a volunteer, you’ll change the lives of many children and your own!
Learn more about how to get involved.