Making wishes come true
I can’t think of a better way to unwind after finals than to spend one magical week in Florida. That’s exactly what I did when I went on the Making Wishes Come True honors experience. As a part of this experience, I traveled with a group of other UC honors students to Kissimmee, Florida, to volunteer for a week at Give Kids the World Village. Here, the group and I set up and helped with different games and activities and served food to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Some of the different activities that the group and I were helping with included a pirates and princesses party, horseback riding, running the game room, and even a winter wonderland party with Santa Claus and a giant gingerbread man. We did have one free morning and afternoon to ourselves, so I got to go with some others from the group to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World to experience some of the magic that the families staying at the village experienced. The most significant thing for me about this experience was being able to interact with the Wish Kids and their families. It was really great for me to be able to see the smiles on the faces of these people that came from even the simplest activity or game. Even the simplest of activities can be a blessing for families looking for some time away from their lives at hospitals or stuck at home with their sick children, and it was really cool to see the smiles and the joy on the faces of these families and to hear how appreciative they were of the work that we were doing. Smiles must be contagious, because whenever I was at the village I couldn’t seem to stop smiling, even when it was really hot outside waiting for others to be done with a shift. The families weren’t the only ones to show how appreciative they were of our volunteer work. The veteran volunteers and staff workers at the village told us multiple times every day how appreciative they were of us being there and volunteering, and also told us numerous times that without volunteers like us, the magic that is Give Kids the World Village would not be possible. Being able to go on this experience was important for me because I felt the need for reciprocity, to give back to others. I myself was a Wish Kid almost 11 years ago staying at Give Kids the World Village because I had wished for the one thing I wanted most, and the one thing now I think that every sensible child my age back then would have wished for, to go to Disney World. It was great for me to be back at the village volunteering, not only to see what I remembered and what was new, but to be able to give back volunteering and working with families who are going through similar things to what my family went through 11 years ago was an awesome experience. Also, it was great to be able to work with such a diverse group of volunteers, starting with the different majors and backgrounds of the other honors students I was on the trip with, and also the different groups of volunteers and staff workers that helped us along the way. Being able to communicate and work with different groups of people like that really allowed me to see different points of view on this experience than just my own, and this was helped by the times the student group had for reflection and at the end of the nights activities where a staff worker would wrap up with us and talk about our experiences.
In preparation for this experience, I studied excerpts from The Gift of Life by Henri Landwirth and the Wish Impact study from the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Henri Landwirth, author of The Gift of Life, is the founder of Give Kids the World Village, and he used his knowledge of hotels as a manager to help create Give Kids the World Village. He used his connections to start this project out as families staying in different hotels around the Orlando area. Today Give Kids the world Village has its own resort with a large number of villas for families to stay in, several buildings and areas for kids to play in, and a few different dining options. I was amazed after reading his book and seeing where the village started and where it’s at today. Another thing I really took away from Henri Landwirth’s book is everything that had to happen behind the scenes and everything that needs to be done in order to make Give Kids the World Village the magical place that it is today. It was through the generosity and dedication of people like Henri Landwirth, managers, business owners, and others with connections to construction, housing, and dining that the idea of Give Kids the World Village was able to become a reality. On the other hand, it is through the generous donations of time and money from volunteers, staff workers, and others that keeps Give Kids the Worlds Village the magical place that it is and keeps things running smoothly. It was an honor to be able to be one of these volunteers, and to work to allow families and wish kids to enjoy a week of fun and magic, away from the medical problems at home. The other reading I did to prepare for this experience came from excerpts of the Wish Impact study from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This study observed the impact of a Wish not only on the members of the Wish Kid’s family, but also on volunteers involved with the wish. I was able to observe this impact every day I volunteered at Give Kids the World Village. Starting with the Wish Kids themselves, it was easy to see a renewed sense of hope and Joy in the kids themselves, like the wish had given them the strength and hope to deal with and fight against their life threatening conditions. For the parents, the wish provided them with a sense of relief from their child’s condition and all of the medical bills, and the wish brought them joy to be able to see smiles on their children’s faces, even if it meant eating ice cream for breakfast. It was really interesting to see the siblings reaction while on the wish trip, not only being able to finally hang out with their siblings, but also that people, in this case other volunteers and the siblings parents, were paying attention to the siblings and not just to the child with a life threatening condition. Being a volunteer myself, I was able to see the impact that this wish trip made on volunteers, which to me I felt like I developed a connection with some of the Wish Kids I met, and I wanted to be able to do as much as I could to help them, and after leaving, I feel like I would love to go back and volunteer again at Give Kids the World Village. Also, this experience was great in helping me towards my professional goal, being a nurse working with cancer patients at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Being on this experience allowed me to interact with different children with life threatening conditions and their families, and this gave me a small look at what I would be encountering as a nurse working with cancer patients.
I am so grateful to have been able to be a part of the Making Wishes Come true experience. If I could do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat. The only thing I would even think about doing differently if I had the chance would be to volunteer for different types of activities instead of staying around or avoiding a certain type of activity. I think I avoided certain types of activities because I thought they might be more difficult, but what I realize now is that even if the volunteer work might have been harder, the different perspective of the joy on the faces of the Wish Kids and their families makes the more difficult worth so much more. The one thing I would tell other students preparing to go on an experience like this would be that unless you absolutely cannot partake in volunteering for a certain activity for whatever reason, to try your best to engage in volunteering for every different type of activity you can, because this will allow you to see all kinds of different perspectives and have fun doing different activities instead of volunteering for one type of activity the whole experience. The main thing that this experience has taught me is that a little hope, joy, and yes, even sometimes a little magic, can make a huge difference to these families of children with life threatening conditions. Even something as simple as a smile shared or a simple conversation about a family’s plan or what they did that day can make a huge impact, sending home with that family a positive attitude and the strength to deal with and fight their child’s life threatening condition. I can take away from this that when helping a patient with cancer as a nurse at Children’s Hospital that even a simple smile or conversation, just to spread hope, can go a long way in helping that patient feel better. Also, even if that classroom, if I face a tough course or exam with a positive attitude, and the mindset that anything is possible that I put my mind to, then I will not only survive in that tough course, but I will succeed. Another thing this experience taught me is the continued importance in awareness and research for life threatening conditions, including childhood cancer. Increasing awareness and donations towards childhood cancer research is crucial towards one day finding a cure. A cure for childhood cancer could be a key step in a cure for all other cancers and other life threatening conditions. This has led me to think about contributing to childhood cancer research through my own research as a nurse working with cancer patients and making donations to organizations for cancer research, so that one day, parents might not have to hear “your child has cancer” or any other life threatening condition, and fear that they might lose their child. In order to disseminate what I have learned on the Making Wishes Come True experience, I have talked about the trip with my family and friends. That’s just the start though, as I created a page for this experience on my honors portfolio online. Once returning back to school, since this experience took place after finals, I will share this experience with my fellow nursing majors, in the hopes that they too might want to go on this experience and volunteer to help children with life threatening conditions, and ultimately join in supporting the cause that saved my life, continued research for childhood cancer and other conditions.
In preparation for this experience, I studied excerpts from The Gift of Life by Henri Landwirth and the Wish Impact study from the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Henri Landwirth, author of The Gift of Life, is the founder of Give Kids the World Village, and he used his knowledge of hotels as a manager to help create Give Kids the World Village. He used his connections to start this project out as families staying in different hotels around the Orlando area. Today Give Kids the world Village has its own resort with a large number of villas for families to stay in, several buildings and areas for kids to play in, and a few different dining options. I was amazed after reading his book and seeing where the village started and where it’s at today. Another thing I really took away from Henri Landwirth’s book is everything that had to happen behind the scenes and everything that needs to be done in order to make Give Kids the World Village the magical place that it is today. It was through the generosity and dedication of people like Henri Landwirth, managers, business owners, and others with connections to construction, housing, and dining that the idea of Give Kids the World Village was able to become a reality. On the other hand, it is through the generous donations of time and money from volunteers, staff workers, and others that keeps Give Kids the Worlds Village the magical place that it is and keeps things running smoothly. It was an honor to be able to be one of these volunteers, and to work to allow families and wish kids to enjoy a week of fun and magic, away from the medical problems at home. The other reading I did to prepare for this experience came from excerpts of the Wish Impact study from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This study observed the impact of a Wish not only on the members of the Wish Kid’s family, but also on volunteers involved with the wish. I was able to observe this impact every day I volunteered at Give Kids the World Village. Starting with the Wish Kids themselves, it was easy to see a renewed sense of hope and Joy in the kids themselves, like the wish had given them the strength and hope to deal with and fight against their life threatening conditions. For the parents, the wish provided them with a sense of relief from their child’s condition and all of the medical bills, and the wish brought them joy to be able to see smiles on their children’s faces, even if it meant eating ice cream for breakfast. It was really interesting to see the siblings reaction while on the wish trip, not only being able to finally hang out with their siblings, but also that people, in this case other volunteers and the siblings parents, were paying attention to the siblings and not just to the child with a life threatening condition. Being a volunteer myself, I was able to see the impact that this wish trip made on volunteers, which to me I felt like I developed a connection with some of the Wish Kids I met, and I wanted to be able to do as much as I could to help them, and after leaving, I feel like I would love to go back and volunteer again at Give Kids the World Village. Also, this experience was great in helping me towards my professional goal, being a nurse working with cancer patients at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Being on this experience allowed me to interact with different children with life threatening conditions and their families, and this gave me a small look at what I would be encountering as a nurse working with cancer patients.
I am so grateful to have been able to be a part of the Making Wishes Come true experience. If I could do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat. The only thing I would even think about doing differently if I had the chance would be to volunteer for different types of activities instead of staying around or avoiding a certain type of activity. I think I avoided certain types of activities because I thought they might be more difficult, but what I realize now is that even if the volunteer work might have been harder, the different perspective of the joy on the faces of the Wish Kids and their families makes the more difficult worth so much more. The one thing I would tell other students preparing to go on an experience like this would be that unless you absolutely cannot partake in volunteering for a certain activity for whatever reason, to try your best to engage in volunteering for every different type of activity you can, because this will allow you to see all kinds of different perspectives and have fun doing different activities instead of volunteering for one type of activity the whole experience. The main thing that this experience has taught me is that a little hope, joy, and yes, even sometimes a little magic, can make a huge difference to these families of children with life threatening conditions. Even something as simple as a smile shared or a simple conversation about a family’s plan or what they did that day can make a huge impact, sending home with that family a positive attitude and the strength to deal with and fight their child’s life threatening condition. I can take away from this that when helping a patient with cancer as a nurse at Children’s Hospital that even a simple smile or conversation, just to spread hope, can go a long way in helping that patient feel better. Also, even if that classroom, if I face a tough course or exam with a positive attitude, and the mindset that anything is possible that I put my mind to, then I will not only survive in that tough course, but I will succeed. Another thing this experience taught me is the continued importance in awareness and research for life threatening conditions, including childhood cancer. Increasing awareness and donations towards childhood cancer research is crucial towards one day finding a cure. A cure for childhood cancer could be a key step in a cure for all other cancers and other life threatening conditions. This has led me to think about contributing to childhood cancer research through my own research as a nurse working with cancer patients and making donations to organizations for cancer research, so that one day, parents might not have to hear “your child has cancer” or any other life threatening condition, and fear that they might lose their child. In order to disseminate what I have learned on the Making Wishes Come True experience, I have talked about the trip with my family and friends. That’s just the start though, as I created a page for this experience on my honors portfolio online. Once returning back to school, since this experience took place after finals, I will share this experience with my fellow nursing majors, in the hopes that they too might want to go on this experience and volunteer to help children with life threatening conditions, and ultimately join in supporting the cause that saved my life, continued research for childhood cancer and other conditions.