When it was 8-year old Leland’s turn to receive his wish from Make-A-Wish Alabama, he didn’t ask for a shopping spree or a Disney trip or anything you or I would guess an 8-year old boy would want. He asked for a carport so his mom could stay dry when she was getting him out of their van in his wheelchair.
When I heard Leland’s story, I knew I had to be a part of granting wishes to other children with critical illnesses. Wishes are life-changing for kids and their families. Wishes bring joy and hope to families caring for their medically fragile children. Wishes allow sick kids to just be kids whether they are meeting their Disney hero or staying dry moving from the car into the house.
In 2022, Make-A-Wish of Alabama granted 118 wishes, but there are still approximately 275 kids from Alabama waiting for their wish. It’s up to us to grant these wishes! Alabama children are waiting to play in their brand new treehouse, to be a princess, to have a gaming system, to work in a pickle factory, to become a superhero, to go snorkeling, to buy uniforms for their baseball team, and to swim with dolphins.
This is why I participate in the Trailblaze Challenge. Trailblazers like me commit to raising a minimum of $2500 for wishes and hiking 26.2 miles in the Pinhoti National Forest.
Some of us go the (literal!) extra mile - I am committing to be a Wish Hero. I am raising $5,000 hiking 54.6 MILES across 4 STATES in 2 days! But $5000 isn’t enough for me this year. I want to grant an ENTIRE wish. In 2023, I am committing to raising the average cost of a wish - $8000.
Since 2020, I have completed 5 marathon hikes, hiked over 2,000 miles over 4 states with a total of 20,000 feet of elevation gain all while raising over $17,000 for Wish Kids. I’m not done yet and I have a long way to go.
Will you help me change one child’s life? It’s one child who deserves to be a kid; not a sick kid, just a kid with a big, happy smile. Will you help me raise $8000?
Jill
Tigger
