Special Wish

When Ally was first diagnosed with ALL....well I honestly can hardly remember the first week and everything that occurred. From time to time I will ask my friend Nicki about it (like who had the kids again?!?....or how did I tell you, etc) or I will ask Jerad or my sister. This must be nature's way of blocking out the most awful memory of my life. Which is good. And upon diagnosis, the hemoc team sends people into your hospital room almost hourly to "teach" us everything we need to know about leukemia and support groups and organizations that will help us pay our hospital bills and etc etc. And yet for some reason, I distinctly remember the social worker pulling me across the hall into the lounge on the hemoc floor. She handed me a stack of forms and told me to fill them out so that Allison could get a special wish. I seriously almost started hyperventilating at that moment and I could barely sputter out words to her. " What...what do you mean special wish? She doesn't need a special wish. Isn't that for kids that are dying? My daughter is gonna be fine....no no no" I was seriously almost offended at the prospect. She proceeds to tell me that any child who is facing a "life-threatening" illness is entitled to a special wish. Again I think I uttered something like really, is she qualifying for this??? AHHHHHHHH. And for the 10th time that week I felt like I got punched in the stomach. Again.

I took the forms and filed them away. For months and months....I didn't even look at them. I am not sure why it upset me so....I had seen all those special wish commercials and human interest stories and I just didn't want that to be me and my family. After time, the reality set in and we heard stories about all her hospital friends and their "special wish" AND I started realizing that Ally did deserve a special wish. Someone told me that she deserved to have a wish to look forward to and to help her get through the treatment. A light at the end of the tunnel. And that is very true...but again, I was stubborn and I didn't want to take funds from a charitable organization when in reality I didn't need the funds. I didn't want to be a receiver of charity...when in reality we are givers. We would gladly pay to take her on a trip when this is all said and done.

Well, I have finally come to terms with the whole thing...a full eight months later I finally turned in the forms. I wrote them a long letter explaining all of this. They are an awesome organization, and I want them to be involved in facilitating and planning her trip. They can do so much more than I could ever do. Ally has chosen a very unique wish...most of the kids just want to go to Disney World. I don't have full details of what her wish entails, but I will share them when we do. Most of it revolves around going to Hollywood California and seeing a taping of her favorite show: The Wizards of Waverly Place. The people at the foundation called me yesterday and told me that her wish went in front of their Board and was approved!!! So now they just have to contact the correct people in Hollywood and try to create some magic for Ally. And this is something that I could never do for her. Again, I am so so so so grateful to all of these people who make it their job to make these wishes come true for so many kids.

So stay tuned....I am anxious to find out when and how this will all occur. But Ally is more than excited about the whole thing. She so deserves the full glory of all her wishes coming true. And this will be the light at the end of the tunnel for her. We will look forward to it on all those days that are not so fun....and I believe one is coming again next Tuesday. And Wednesday. Until then, we will continue to live in and cherish the moment we are in!