Last Saturday, at the 2011 Celebration of Wishes Gala hosted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Georgia and Alabama, Tiffane Bell got to meet the children who benefitted from her generosity. Bell, whose lucky number is three, was a Make-A-Wish child and she used her wish to give three children wishes who, like her, suffered from life-threatening medical conditions.
“I was 16 when I was diagnosed with cancer, and that one day changed my whole life,” said Bell, 21, who is now in remission and a senior at Clark Atlanta University. “I was older and I was able to understand what I was going through, but these kids don’t understand what’s happening, why they can’t do certain things or why suddenly everything changed around them. “
Bell’s wish allowed the Crawder Family to go Disney World in July. “It was surprising that [Tiffane] did that because she could have asked for anything," said Erica Crawder, whose daughter Morgan, 11, was diagnosed with cancer and is now in remission. “It really meant a lot for us that we could take [Morgan] on a vacation because for seven days, we didn’t have to worry about medicines, doctors or anything. ”
Currently, there are 700 children in the Georgia-Alabama region who are on a waiting list for wish. “An average wish costs $7,000 and many of these wishes, due to the health of the children, cannot wait,” said Senior Director of Corporate Development and Events Kari Love. This chapter receives the highest referrals from doctors than any other Make-A-Wish Foundation chapter in the country because many families come to receive treatments at the advanced healthcare facilities in the city.
Because each chapter works independently, the Georgia-Alabama chapter needs volunteers to help in various ways such as working in the office, fundraising or becoming a Wish Granter. CEO John J. Brennan added, “Doctors work hard to heal the body, but by working with the community and our volunteers, these wishes help heal the children and their families’ spirit.”
The gala, held at the St. Regis Hotel in Buckhead, raised over $200,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Georgia and Alabama.
To volunteer with Make-A-Wish Foundation of Georgia and Alabama, visit ga-al.wish.org
In Other News: Yogli Mogli, in Sandy Springs, hosted a fundraiser for Canine Companions for Independence on Sat., Oct. 8. The event raised $1,700 for the nonprofit organization that provides trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities.
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