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POSITIVE NEWS
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It all started in Arizona in the spring of 1980 when a little boy dying of leukemia wanted more than anything to be a police officer and “catch the bad guys.” Because of that one little boy, a nonprofit organization, Make-a-Wish was founded by Tommy Austin, a now retired U.S. Customs agent who decided to grant wishes for other kids facing life threatening illnesses.
And though there are many ways to help local children experience a “wish come true,” Don Nunnelley of Washington Twp., decided about 10 years ago to become a Make-a-Wish “wish granter,” and follow the process with a child and family from the beginning.
“My company had a fundraiser for Make-a-Wish and a rep from Columbus was there,” Nunnelley said. “After I talked to her I was intrigued and I wondered how I could help. She told me I could train to become a wish granter and I committed to it right there.”
A Make-a-Wish wish granter acts as a liaison between staff and the wish family during the wish process. The average time commitment is about 1-2 hours per month for approximately 6-9 months.
“I attended a one day training in Columbus,” Nunnelley said. “We were trained about how to approach a child and how the entire process works.”
Nunnelley was first paired with an experienced volunteer and was given the opportunity to sign up for wishes as they became available in his local area. The local chapter for which he volunteers covers Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
“I have two wishes I’m working on now,” he said. “There are always two wish granters working on a wish together. We first go out and find out what the child’s true wish is and then we work with the program to make that wish happen.”
Nunnelley said he was so impressed with the mission of the organization and the process when he first volunteered that he knew he would continue. “I had been looking for a way to give back in some tangible way,” he said. “I have five healthy grandchildren of my own and this is a way I can help others.”
After more than a decade of granting wishes, Nunnelley is now a lead wish granter and he has worked with more than twenty families making dreams come true for children facing life threatening illnesses.
“Most wishes fall into three categories,” Nunnelley said. “The kids usually want to go somewhere, get something or meet someone.” Many want to go to Walt Disney World and some want to go on shopping sprees or meet a celebrity.
Nunnelley is working with a family now who will be leaving for Hawaii on December 7. Eight year old Allyssa Paul of Xenia had a kidney transplant in November of 2014 after being born with a genetic disorder called Branchiootorenal syndrome.
“When we were in the hospital for Allie’s surgery they told us about Make-a-Wish,” Allyssa’s father, Judd Paul said. “Mr. Don got in touch and came out and talked to her and asked where she’d like to go. She always liked dolphins and thought it would be cool to go to Hawaii.”
Nunnelley visited the Paul family monthly in preparation for the trip. “Sometimes it takes a little while to coordinate everything around a child’s treatments and schedules,” he said. “And it’s a long time for a child to wait. So we keep sending little gifts to the child to remind them their trip is coming up.”
Nunnelley said the parents he has met are incredibly strong to go through so much with their children. “All the hospital stays and the difficult treatments,” he said. “The children are really strong too but the stories of hope that I see are really amazing.”
And for families like the Pauls, wish granters like Nunnelley really do make a difference. “Mr. Don has been super great to work with,” Paul said. “We are super excited to be going to Honolulu next month. Mr. Don helped us set up a dolphin encounter and Allie asked if she could go on a helicopter ride and he set that up. It’s just a great program.”
Nunnelley said he’s just proud to be a wish granter with Make-a-Wish and feels grateful to have the opportunity to make kids’ wishes come true. “Even though we aren’t doing anything for these kids’ medical care, we are doing a lot for the family and for them because we are taking them away for a little while. We create wishes. It’s amazing work they do at Make-a-Wish.”
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