“Your talent is god’s gift to you. What you do with it will be your gift to the god.” these were the words that Make-A-Wish® India volunteer Tanya Kullar shared with 13-year-old Ishan during his very musically-minded wish day in Delhi.
Read Some of the Stories
Sivadharshini, 12, wished to have a bicycle
Sivadharshini is a 12-year-old girl who loves butterflies and the color pink. When she was introduced to Make-A-Wish during her hospital treatment, she had no hesitation about what her wish would be. Sivadharshini wished to have a pink bicycle covered with butterflies.
On the day of her wish, Sivadharshini chose to wear a beautiful pink gown to match her new bicycle. She was ecstatic seeing the pink butterflies on it and could not thank enough for making her wish come true with every small detail she had imagined.
The months long treatment had made Sivadharshini very sick, and she found it hard to move around much. A week after her wish was granted, her mother shared a video of her riding the bike on the street smiling and waving.
Penelope, 5, wished to be a princess
Penelope is a very talkative and funny girl. At the time of her wish, she was receiving treatment in the Manipal Hospital in the state of Goa.
Penelope makes friends very easily with people of all ages, so she naturally did that with the hospital staff. Make-A-Wish India volunteers met Penelope in the hospital to capture her wish and she was incredibly welcoming and excited. Penelope told the volunteers everything about herself. She likes Barbie dolls and movies. She loves to play with makeup, and she enjoys learning from YouTube videos. She wants to be a beautician when she grows up. She loves going to the beach with her family to play.
Penelope’s favorite color is blue, and she loves princesses. So, quite naturally her wish was to be a princess for a day.
Make-A-Wish India volunteers made her wish come true. She had many special treats and presents arranged on the day of her wish. Penelope loved her magical princess dress. She was very happy and joyful. Her wish made Penelope feel much more positive about her treatment.
Jigar, 12, wished to have a robotics kit
Jigar is a smart and curious twelve-year-old. Make-A-Wish volunteers met him when he was receiving cancer treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute in New Delhi.
Jigar said that he wanted to become a mechanical engineer when he grows up because he wants to help other people with his work. He had already been building and creating different gadgets at home and so his wish was to have a robotics kit.
When Jigar’s wish was granted, he was very grateful not only for the kit itself, but also for the fact that Make-A-Wish believed in his passion and his interests. He was excited and wanted to explore his new kit as soon as possible.
Jigar also promised to stay in touch with Make-A-Wish to show his new work and his inventions.
The mission of Make-A-Wish® International is to grant the life changing wishes for children with critical illnesses around the globe. Magical wishes are granted in 50 different countries via a network of 39 Make-A-Wish® Affiliates.
The Make-A-Wish India® Affiliate has been supported by Jewelers for Children since 2002, so this year marks an incredible 20 years of the partnership. In this time JFC has provided $2.5 million for wish granting in India, which as allowed thousands of critically ill children to receive their wish across the country – from Delhi to Chennai, from Kolkata to Mumbai.
Luciano Manzo, CEO, Make-A-Wish® International: “We know from our work around the globe that wishes truly change lives. They bring strength, hope and joy to children when they need it most. The two-decade partnership with Jewelers for Children is very important to our organization and we are grateful for the continued support to wish granting in India and beyond. On behalf of the wish children and their families – thank you.”