Beyond The Wish: Lexie
Clinging onto his Wish Coin after his stem cell transplant gave Jack hope he would get better and get to have his wish.
Chelsea's Melbourne adventure
Chelsea wanted to forget about the endless hospital appointments and come to Melbourne and get dressed up for a photo shoot. Thanks to generous donors and supporters like you, Chelsea’s wish came true. This is her story.
Background
Meet Chelsea
For Chelsea, 14, living with Hodgkin Lymphoma has meant a constant stream of hospital appointments, scans and awful side-effects from chemotherapy. Not much fun for anyone, but especially for a teenage girl who wanted to see more than hospital wards. She desperately wanted to be somewhere else.
Chelsea had not travelled very far, only a few places close to her Queensland home. But when she saw Melbourne on the TV show Postcards, she began thinking of the possibilities.
The wish
A trip to Melbourne
Chelsea was captivated by Melbourne. The postcards painted such an appealing picture in her mind. It’s pretty landmarks, cool city laneways and distinctive fashion. Her wish was to visit Melbourne for the first time with her family and get dressed up for her very own fashion shoot. Everything from the plane trip to the hotels to wandering the CBD and seeing the funky places she wanted to visit excited Chelsea as her wish day approached.
Wish Day
A special photo shoot
Chelsea's action-packed photo shoot day began at DECJUBA Melbourne Central, where the wonderful team greeted her with open arms, glittery cupcakes and clothes … lots of clothes!
With a few outfit changes and some styling input from the DECJUBA girls, Chelsea finally found the perfect outfit for her photo shoot.
After weaving in around city laneways in the new outfit, Chelsea then went to Hosier Lane to meet Sue the photographer.
Chelsea instantly felt in her comfort zone as Sue began to point the camera in Chelsea's direction. She looked every bit a professional model in action.
Wish Effect
The best day of her life
After a day spent dressed up in front of the camera, Chelsea and her family were so grateful and Chelsea continually said it was "the best day of her life".
“It really was everything I dreamed about while I had long days in hospital wishing to be somewhere else … anywhere else,” Chelsea said.
“Thank you so much Make-A-Wish. It was a special trip with my family to Melbourne for a week and its helped me look forward to having more and more happier times to look forward to.”
“I had something to be happy about, instead of thinking about being in hospital all the time and going to so many appointments and scans all the time and living with the awful side effects from chemotherapy.”
The Wish Journey
How a wish comes to life
1. Wish Capture
1. Wish Capture
Depending on availability, either our Make-A-Wish volunteers or our Wish Catcher team will arrange to meet each child (either in-person or virtually) to capture their greatest wish idea, getting to the heart of what they truly want and why. This is part of what makes Make-A-Wish unique, giving children full creative control while exploring their wish idea.
2. Wish Design
2. Wish Design
Back at Make-A-Wish HQ, we collaborate with families and volunteers, with support of the medical teams, to create the ultimate wish experience for each child.
3. Wish Anticipation
3. Wish Anticipation
In the lead up to the wish, we take each child on an anticipation journey designed to build excitement, keep them engaged until their wish comes true, and provide a welcome distraction from medical treatment. Anticipation can be incredibly powerful, helping to calm, distract, and inspire kids at a time they need it most.
4. Wish Realisation
4. Wish Realisation
This is when the planning, preparation, and anticipation of the wish finally comes true. Children get to experience their greatest wish – it's everything they’ve imagined and more.
5. Wish Impact
5. Wish Impact
Wish impact studies show that a child's wish lives on, long after the moment. A wish gives more than just hope – with an incredible and lasting effect on the lives of wish kids, their families, and wider communities.
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