Yesterday, we had the honor to have Ms Debbie Seah from Make-A-Wish® Foundation to drop by our Book Sales HQ. She shared with us an inspiring story that moved several people to tears.

She spoke about a wish that was granted to Joseph, a 17 year old boy. He had renal failure and had to wash dishes for a living to help pay for his medical bills whenever he is free. Most of the time, he has to stay at the hospital for dialysis and treatment. His one biggest wish was to own a laptop so that he could spend time with his friends whenever he is at the hospital.

The volunteers at the Foundation picked him up and planned to make his laptop wish come true. But they also decided to go an extra mile. They got to know that Joseph loved cooking and they went on a secret mission to tie up with the Four Seasons Hotel.

The volunteers ferried the unsuspecting boy to the hotel. He wondered what was going on; why was he being brought to such a grand location. The moment he stepped into the hotel, he was greeted by an entourage of smiling staff and was escorted like royalty to the hotel ballroom. When Joseph opened the door, he was pleasantly surprised.

There was a chef, equipped with an island kitchen in the middle of the room. At the side was a table where the teen’s parents were waiting for him. They were supposed to be at work, but had taken the day off just to deliver this wish to him. What the volunteers had prepared was actually a whole cooking experience where Joseph could learn how to make a 4-course dinner from a gourmet chef, cook it and serve it to his most loved ones…his parents.

The teen was very happy. Grinning all the way, he relished every single moment of that experience. What Debbie heard at the end of the whole experience was that he was crying because he has never been so happy, so joyful, so full of fervour in his whole life.

That one incident injected a lot of hope into Joseph’s life, whenever he talks about that experience, no matter how down he is, no matter how painful the dialysis process is, his face would still lighten up, instilling a renewed will to live his life to the fullest.

That moved the whole room. The thought of how our actions with the Pick Me Up book has actually aided in this great cause, of how we have enabled the kids to experience what it means to have something to look forward to again and how we made that difference in their lives by creating for them fantastic memories that will ultimately anchor them and give them that WILL to grit pass their diseases.

Granting a wish isn’t about just giving a laptop, it is about making every wish count for the kids. It is about going that extra mile to make that real difference to their lives. Imagine how many wishes can be granted if everyone of us here would just take some time to contribute a little. Imagine how that would look like, of a child’s smile and pure joy of having a simple wish granted.

Just a little will do, make a difference today. Get the books and Make-A-Wish® come true.

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Make-A-Wish® , Four Seasons Hotel team up to help terminally ill kids

By Aaron W-Tan, Channel NewsAsia

Posted: 19 May 2007 2334 hrs
SINGAPORE : The Make-A-Wish® Foundation seeks to grant the heartfelt wishes of children and youths with life-threatening illnesses. One such youth is 17-year-old Joseph, who has end-stage kidney failure. His wish is to prepare a gourmet meal for his family. And together with Four Seasons Hotel, they made his dream come true. Caesar’s salad with prawns, an entree of salmon and lemon soufflé - that was what Joseph had to prepare. But before the cooking could begin, Joseph had to look the part. “I’m overwhelmed definitely! Luckily, I didn’t get a heart attack when I walked in. I love cooking and something like this happening … I have no idea what to say,” said Joseph. The granting of his wishes didn’t just end there.

Joseph also received a laptop, courtesy of Make-A-Wish® Foundation. And Chef Catan Tan presented Joseph with a culinary medal. “Everyone at Four seasons, and Make-A-Wish® Foundation especially, they’ve got their own lives and yet they put in time like this, volunteering to make patients like me do something out-of-the-world. I don’t think I’ll forget this ever,” said Joseph. So Joseph and his family spent an afternoon away from the worries of illness, where the food was good but the company was even better. - CNA /ls