Autumn in New York€¦ there's nothing like it. There's also nothing quite like trying to get from Midtown Manhattan to JFK Airport on a Friday afternoon. Standing on the sidewalk outside my hotel near Grand Central Station, I mentioned to the gentleman behind me in line at the taxi stand that we could be in for a wait. "I'm going to JFK, too," he replied. "Want to share a cab?"
A few minutes into the ride to the airport, I learned that my traveling companion was David Williams, the president and chief executive officer of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. I asked at least a dozen questions about his role, the foundation, and the scores of children with serious illnesses who had their special wish granted. The one question I was dying to ask him: "What is the most remarkable wish that Make-A-Wish has ever granted?"
It was a hard question to answer. Make-A-Wish has fulfilled the wishes of scores of children facing long odds since 1980, when a group of volunteers banded together to help a young boy realize his dream of becoming a (honorary) police officer. After thinking about it for a few moments, Mr. Williams chose to tell me about the wish of Hope Stout, a girl from Charlotte, North Carolina, who transformed her terminal battle with cancer into one of the most incredible examples of servant leadership of our time. You see, Hope managed to turn her one wish into 155 wishes.
I was back in my office in Charlotte a week later when a package arrived from Mr. Williams. Inside I found a gracious note and a copy of Hope's Wish, a book that was written by Hope Stout's parents, Stuart and Shelby, and featured a foreword by Mr. Williams.
Hope's Wish chronicles how young Hope, battling a life-threatening illness, turned the tables on despair and managed to leave an indelible mark on hundreds, and then thousands, of lives. What had begun as pain in Hope's leg was soon revealed to be the one word every person – and especially every parent – fears most: cancer. X-rays, needles, body scans, blood samples, pokes, prods and more tests followed. Then chemotherapy and hair loss. Near the end of her all-too-short life, Hope was paid a visit by volunteer wish-granters from one of North Carolina’s chapters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
At first, Hope wanted to be famous. A walk-on role on a television sitcom like Lizzie McGuire, or maybe a modeling shoot in New York City. Her parents suggested an appearance on Oprah. Then she asked a question that surprised everyone: How many other kids with life-threatening illnesses are waiting to have their wish fulfilled right now? One hundred and fifty-five in central and western North Carolina, the foundation representatives answered.
"Then my wish is to grant all of the wishes of the 155 kids on the waiting list – every single one of them!" Hope answered.
It costs Make-A-Wish, on average, $5,500 to grant a child's wish. This particular chapter's budget was roughly $800,000 – for the entire year. Hope's unprecedented proposal meant that nearly $1 million would have to raised in 30 days to make her dream come true.
In just one month, hundreds of volunteers were mobilized and virtually all of Charlotte heard about Hope Stout's amazing wish through newspaper, radio and television stories. A Carolina Panthers rally in Hope's honor drew a crowd of more than 15,000 to Uptown Charlotte and netted over $50,000 in three hours.
Hope's wish culminated in a Hollywood-style gala on January 16, 2004 called the "Celebration of Hope." Nearly 1,000 guests attended the fundraiser. One notable exception: Hope, who lost her fight with cancer mere days before the event. Her wish was realized, however. Make-A-Wish officials announced that over $1.1 million in donations had been collected on Hope's behalf. The annual event continues to raise money to fulfill the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.
When I think about Hope's wish, I'm reminded that we all have an opportunity to do more with our many gifts and blessings. One of the primary objectives of the Jepson School's 150 Days in a Lifetime of Service campaign is to remind us that we can all devote time from our busy schedules to put the needs of others before ourselves. After all, thanks to one miraculous gesture, Hope Stout was able to use the final weeks of her life to make the wildest dreams of 155 other children come true.
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The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a child's wish every forty-one minutes. In all, the foundation has fulfilled the wishes of more than 153,000 children. If you are looking for an amazing volunteer opportunity as part of the 150 Days in a Lifetime of Service campaign or simply want to donate, please visit the Make-A-Wish Foundation on the Web at www.wish.org.