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Will and Stanley's new journey starts
Will wished for a puppy to be by his side when he finally returned home after a long medical journey.
Diagnosis
Lumps lead to shock
The phone rang at Wish parents Anthony and Liz's place at 4pm on a Friday. The message was short and clear. They had to take their 14-year-old son Will to the hospital's emergency department because he had cancer.
Days earlier, Anthony and Liz had a couple of lumps in Will's neck checked out by doctors but were told not to worry.
"We were totally unprepared," Anthony said.
"It was a feeling of shock.
At the hospital, we talked to numerous doctors and a lot of them explained everything to us, but I can still only remember one word from that night: cancer."
Treatment
COVID adds to tough time
Within four days, the hospital confirmed its initial suspicion that Will had acute lymphoblastic lymphoma.
For almost a year, Will received intensive chemotherapy. Will's treatment coincided with Melbourne's second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving parents Anthony and Liz with little support.
"Because of the COVID restrictions, people couldn't come into our house or help us at the hospital," Anthony said. "Often, we weren't allowed in the hospital together, so we'd see each other for 15 minutes in the car park at the front of the hospital."
In addition to losing his hair, Will lost a lot of weight and was confined to a wheelchair during his treatment. Fortunately, the chemotherapy got results, and Will is in the maintenance phase of his treatment and scheduled to continue his medication until early 2022.
One of the more positive aspects of Will’s hospital stay was deciding what he’d like to wish for.
"He said many different things, and a puppy would keep coming up, but he couldn’t decide. Eventually we said 'it sounds like maybe you’d like a puppy' and so he decided that’s what his wish would be," Anthony said.
"The wish was something that kept him going all the way through his medical journey."
Hope
Wish anticipation brightens the days
When your child is in hospital, their health tends to be the subject of most, if not all, conversations.
But, according to wish dad Anthony, Will's wish was a much-needed conversation starter.
"People don't know what to say to a kid with cancer," Anthony said. "But the wish gave people something to talk to Will about.
"And as parents, the wish gives you something else to talk to your child about when they are going through a horrible journey."
Anthony said the future arrival of a puppy gave the whole family something to look forward to.
"It's a very long journey not just for the child with cancer, but it's a rough journey for the whole family: siblings, parents, grandparents and everyone involved," he said.
Wish day
Love at first sight
There were some nerves around the arrival of Will's groodle puppy named Stanley (after Marvel Comics' Stan Lee).
Will's family had never had a dog before. They thought it would be hard work training the puppy. But their fears dissipated hours after Stanley's arrival.
"It was love at first sight," Anthony said.
"Stanley has entered all our lives and made a huge change to our family. It's just been a positive change. You can see the impact not only on Will but on his siblings too; they are a lot more relaxed."
Anthony said the dog had become a companion for Will, now aged 16.
"Will gets out of bed early in the morning to see Stanley, and Stanley's always very happy to see him," Anthony said.
"Will can’t wait to take Stanley on walks once his vaccinations have kicked in.
"Make-A-Wish has done something we would never have done ourselves. It's been an opportunity to see our son feeling positive and excited again after what's been a really tough journey."
“Stanley has entered all our lives and made a huge change to our family. It's just been a positive change”
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.
