MESSAGES FROM THE FAMILIES   

Tatum

Fifteen-year-old Tatum, her parents, David and Sherry, and her younger sister, eleven-year-old Hannah, stand in the living room of their Dallas home.

WE FIRST WOULD like to thank you for taking the time to read Tatum’s story. It is our sincere hope and prayer that you take from this what you need at the time of reading it. Fact is always stranger than fiction, and the fact that we experienced what most people think will never happen to them is still shocking to us. We were hit with a baseball bat to the gut and had the wind knocked out of us. We found ourselves confused with many questions and the need to redefine what life is for our family. The Make-A-Wish Foundation, along with our family and friends, helped us to make the transition from misery to the ability to have fun during trials. We find it necessary to laugh and seek out the joy in times of adversity. Laughter heals, and our friends at Make-A-Wish have made that their priority. There is no pain and there are no procedures that come with Make-A-Wish, which makes it a refuge for families. Tatum is special for reasons other than her health issues, and that is what we celebrate. We are eternally grateful for the joy we experienced through the love of so many during the most intense and difficult time of our lives.

—TATUM’S PARENTS, DAVID AND SHERRY NULL

Katelyn

Katelyn Atwell and Bob Crossman, chief instructor at Skydive DeLand, pose for a quick shot before jumping from a plane flying over DeLand, Florida, in November 2011 for Katelyn’s twenty-fifth birthday.

Our hope for those who read Katelyn’s story is to realize that life really is about choices. Kate’s journey is not one we would have ever chosen, but the way we came out of it was determined by the choices we made during it. God had us walk this path for a reason, and we chose to look for every positive thread we could. We chose to never lose hope. We chose every single day to keep moving forward, never letting sadness or worry stop us. Some days, we were hanging on by a thread. It was our choice to never give up. And we are still making choices today—we choose not to let Kate’s disabilities define her or us. We continue to choose to test our boundaries. God wants us to live an abundant life, not just exist. As Kate would say, “Come on, let’s go jump out of a perfectly good airplane! Life is meant to be lived.”

—KATELYN’S PARENTS, RAY AND SHARON ATWELL

Brittney

In the backyard of her San Diego home, T’Ann Wolfe holds a 2004 photo of her late daughter, Brittney, taken just seven months before Brittney passed away.

Brittney would have loved to know that her story would be told in a book. As she fought her battle with cancer, she often told me that she would beat it and then help other kids get through it. She had dreams of traveling and talking to kids, letting them know what they were going to face, and then helping them face it. It was her dream to spread hope and optimism to other children with cancer. Even during the darkest moments of her fight, Brittney’s dreams remained big and she never gave up. She taught me more in her short life than I could ever have taught her in a lifetime—how to stay strong, look at the bright side, never lose hope, and always keep laughing. She was a little girl who could have changed the world. That is why I decided to share her story. I want people to become inspired by her spirit and all that she lived and stood for. She was a true believer in putting others before herself, making nobody worry unless absolutely necessary, and keeping a smile on her face, no matter what. Together, by retelling the story we lived, we hope to spread inspiration with Brittney’s motto on life—love, laughter, and no tears!

—BRITTNEY’S MOM, T’ANN WOLFE

Garrett

On a trip last year to the Czech Republic, Garrett Stuart, with his parents, Mike and Linda, pose at the Kotnov Castle in Tabor.

Life is a gift, and no matter what you are given, whether it is Dystonia or any other type of hardship, it is still a gift. It is important to stay positive and remember that if one road does not work out, there is another. Never give up! Additionally, it is amazing to see the positive impact one can have on another. While it is rewarding for the person receiving the help, it can be just as gratifying for the individual providing it. So, my message is to stay positive and realize the power of giving.

—GARRETT STUART

Meera

In May of 2012, Alex, Nita, Meera, and Zane attended the annual “Wish Night” event at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in downtown Dallas, where Meera auctioned a few of her paintings that night at a high bid.

We have always believed in logic and that our lives are governed by it. We continued to believe that way until our daughter, Meera, defied all logic and reason on the road to her recovery.

No matter how illogical life may appear, never give up hope and faith because those are the only things that can keep us sane. Our journey taught us that even the most brilliant minds cannot explain why certain events happen. They just do. We learned that these events, no matter how severe or unfortunate, are purposeful, and their intent will always be revealed. Stay faithful and you will see how much hope is in this world, and it is awe-inspiring.

—MEERA’S PARENTS, ALEX AND NITA SALAMAH

Dakota

Henry and Sharon Hawkins pose with their sons, Riley and Quinn, holding a picture of their late son, Dakota, in front of their Cabot, Arkansas home.

Our family was honored that our firstborn son, Dakota, was considered for this publication. Dakota authored his own story as he lived out his faith through four years of fighting a rare leukemia with valor, selflessness, strength, and love. Through his fight, Dakota gave most of the gifts he would receive to other children fighting cancer to help brighten their day, and truly taught us that it is “more blessed to give than to receive.” Each day he carried a gentle smile no matter how he felt. Often we are reminded that his Make-A-Wish was as unique as he was: a well-thought-out gift straight from his heart to ours that we will always cherish. He truly valued others over self and loved deeply.

—DAKOTA’S PARENTS, HENRY AND SHARON HAWKINS

Tien

Tien poses for his seventh-grade school photo at The Berkeley School in Berkeley, CA.

Tien Leou-on and his family wish to thank the many people who helped Tien on his long medical journey. If we could, we would hug each one of you: dear friends, family, nurses, doctors, medical technicians, teachers, volunteers, clergy from so many different faiths, and complete strangers. We shared the story of Tien as a light and encouragement to all who travel a difficult medical road.

—TIEN’S MOM, LILLIAN HOWAN

Serena

Twenty-three-year-old Serena poses in her Sierra Vista, Arizona, home.

There is always a brighter side to every negative in life, which I learned through a struggle that no average fifteen-year-old could ever comprehend. My battle with cancer was nothing short of an emotional civil war, and the change into a positive attitude after such a blow was not easy. I knew I had to look to something to confide in during such a negative time, hence my love of music. Just a simple melody melted all my fears and anxiety by lighting the path I needed to use to move on. Positivity is a goal that anyone can reach with the right amount of courage contained deep within. This is why I shared my story. I view my Make-A-Wish experience as a cap of euphoria and positivity to end the madness that was my struggle with thyroid cancer and other medical mishaps. In the end, I leave with a brand new friend: a truly beautiful soul by the name of Darren Hayes; he was there from the beginning and had no idea. I may be the luckiest person in the world to have a friend like him. This has only marked the beginning of my life’s journey.

—SERENA BUTLER