Make-a-Wish wishes delayed: COVID-19 forces Charlotte area kids to wait
There’s a good chance the coronavirus forced the cancellation of a trip you or someone you know was planning on taking. We’re talking about millions of business trips and vacations delayed or flat-out canceled. Don’t forget about all those weddings.
For dozens of the most fragile members of our communities, it’s also an uncertain delay of a lifelong dream. We’re talking about Wish kids.
Nationwide, Make-A-Wish said 970 critically ill children were immediately impacted by travel restrictions that postponed their wishes. The group estimates with every day that passes, an additional 30 wishes are delayed. In Charlotte — along with all of Central and Western North Carolina — 49 kids now must wait.
“It was extremely difficult,” said Michelle Scanella, marketing and communications manager for Make-A-Wish Central & Western North Carolina. “A lot of these families had been looking forward to their wish. This falling during spring break made us have to postpone a lot of wishes.”
The Make-A-Wish Central & Western North Carolina office is located on Tremont Avenue in Charlotte and serves 51 counties, including Mecklenburg.
One Wish in Paris
“We weren’t sure if they would get a wish or not,” said Billy Leonard of Highlands. His daughters Savannah, 13, and Tallulah, 10, have spent their lives dealing with an undiagnosed genetic disorder. The family has spent dozens of nights in a hospital with the girls, recovering from symptoms and surgeries.
Make-A-Wish granted both girls a wish in November.
“(We) got the call and found out they were each getting their own wish, and it brought a tear to my eye, Leonard said. “They were squealing and screaming in disbelief. The process of dreaming, inviting them to dream even bigger, I mean anything, we can try at least. It really started to form their imaginations.”
With an undiagnosed disease, Leonard said his family never really felt like a part of a medical community like the ones that exist for pediatric cancer, cystic fibrosis or other diseases. Make-A-Wish changed that.
“When Make-A-Wish came along, it was pretty much the first nonprofit we felt we could be a part of,” Leonard said, choking up a bit. “This has just become so special to my heart because it feels like a community we can belong to.
Leonard describes Savannah as an art lover who loves good food and romantic movies, especially on Lifetime. After lots of discussions, Savannah decided on a trip to Paris to visit the museums, the sites and learn to cook some of the food.
In January, the local Make-A-Wish chapter based in Charlotte granted Savannah her wish and planned the trip for mid-April.
Then came word of the coronavirus. In late February, official word: remettre à plus tard (aka postponement).
“We’ve talked them through everything. They knew. They were aware. We just slowly said there’s a chance,” Leonard said. “Yep, we had to delay it. Yes, she was disappointed.
The postponement highlights the true benefits of these trips.
“It was going to be a trip of a lifetime to help make up for a lifetime of challenging memories, put some light in some of these negative memories,” Leonard said.
Disappointments and new wishes
For those 49 wish kids in Charlotte and Central and Western North Carolina, it’s now wait and hope.
“A lot of families were very upset, but they certainly are very understanding. They don’t want to put their families at risk and know it’s for the best for everyone,” Scanella said.
Spring is usually a busy time for Make-A-Wish in terms of trips and adventures. The organization is now offering kids to change their wishes if they don’t want to wait.
“We are still granting virtual shopping sprees and having the items shipped to them,” Scanella said.
“Wishes are waiting” campaign
The nonprofit admits this is one of the most challenging times in its 40 years of granting wishes. Staff want to support the kids and their families and started the #WishesAreWaiting campaign to draw attention to them.
“‘Messages of Hope’ calls upon people looking to do something positive and impactful during these uncertain times to bring hope and joy to children and families who need it most,” said Richard K. Davis, Make-A-Wish America president and CEO. “The time is now for the public to rally in support of wishes because every child deserves a childhood.”
The campaign now includes the Leonard family, who posted a video of their own this week.
“We just look for the silver lining and the positive,” Leonard said. “It just gives us more time to plan (the trip), be excited and look forward to it.
The family plans on rescheduling the trip to Paris. Tallulah, the youngest of the three sisters, will also get her own wish trip — she’s still at the dreaming stage.
Leonard said these trips are so much more than just a wish for his daughters. “The best cure they can be given at this point is this joy, this wish, this dream. This is an organization that’s making a real difference.”
You can post a message of hope, video, picture or photo on your social media channels along with the hashtag #WishesAreWaiting. Be sure to tag @NCWish on Facebook or @makeawish_cwnc on Twitter and Instagram
Fundraisers have also been canceled
Like many nonprofits, spring is a busy time of year for fundraising for Make-A-Wish. Several events were postponed due to COVID-19:
- Whales for Wishes, 4/5/2020, Resident Culture Brewing, Charlotte
- Picnic in the Plaza, 4/15/2020, Mendenhall Bus Depot, High Point
- Washes for Wishes, 4/18/2020, Greensboro
- World Wish Day Celebration, 4/25/2020, Carowinds, Charlotte
- Kentucky Derby Classic, 5/2/2020, Summerfield Farms, Greensboro
- Trailblaze Challenge Spring, 5/16/2020, Foothills Trail
- Fairways Fore Wishes, 5/18/2020, Cedarwood Country Club, Charlotte
The team said it will continue to look for donors to help fund future wishes.
This story was originally published March 28, 2020 at 8:40 AM.
