Wish kids share joyful messages via Holiday Wish Line
A new telephone hotline with messages recorded by Make-A-Wish Idaho kids will give callers a moment of joy as they navigate the holiday season.
From now through Dec. 31, the Holiday Wish Line will give callers a break from everyday stress with messages to inspire togetherness and maintain the festive spirit.
“We all deal with stress, so it’s not hard for any of us to empathize with the stress that a child facing a critical illness might feel," Make-A-Wish Idaho President and CEO Janie Best said in a Thursday news release. "That’s why it is so easy to get behind the power of a wish. Wishes can give a child something fun, hopeful, and relaxing to look forward to while they undergo chemo or prepare for surgery. With the Holiday Wish Line, you can hear firsthand from wish kids about their wish and the hope it created, and learning about that hope and joy may just help the caller relieve a little holiday stress as well."
Six wish kids, who have all battled a critical illness, are providing kid-friendly advice, stories and funny moments via phone at 208-425-8730. Callers will be asked to select from a series of prompts upon calling the hotline to listen to messages from:
• Jasper, 5, with chronic respiratory failure, who wished for a backyard play set.
• Brantley, 7, with a heart condition, who wanted to see snow and wished to build a snowman with his family.
• Annabelle, a 9-year-old with cystic fibrosis, who wished to skate with her favorite hockey team, the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
• Ava, an 11-year-old with a heart condition, learned firsthand what it takes to be a content creator for her wish.
• Fernie, an 11-year-old with cancer, who, as an avid athlete, wished for a batting cage in his backyard.
• Holin, 10, whose love for music landed her onstage with her favorite singer.
Proceeds raised through the holiday season will make it possible for more wish kids like Jasper, Brantley, Annabelle, Ava, Fernie and Holin to experience the long-lasting impact of a wish.
Wishes can serve as an important turning point in the lives of wish kids. In fact, wish alumni, who are many years removed from their wish, say that the wish helped them to not only feel better but also get better.