Mary's Story: Grandson’s Wish Leads to ‘Energizing’ Impact for Others

Mary has been a Make-A-Wish volunteer since July 2023. She was inspired to get involved after she witnessed her grandson’s wish come true. “What Make-A-Wish did for my grandson, and his mom, and his dad, and his sister, to make him feel so special ... I wanted to be a part of that for other kids.”

She has granted at least five wishes and “each one has been different.” She sees herself as an ambassador for Make-A-Wish, ensuring that every wish experience is wonderful for the entire family.

“My favorite part about being a volunteer is being with the families and seeing the smile on their faces and seeing them feel so special that someone is doing this for them,” Mary said. 

Mary encourages everyone to consider volunteering to grant wishes for kids like Mya. “Know that you can have a part in somebody's life that brings a smile to their face, that makes them feel supported, that makes them feel that they're not in this alone. There's a lot of reward in that,” Mary said. “That's what we are placed on this planet to do, is lift up each other on our bad days. Somebody's going to do the same for you on your bad day. So, why not do the same? Why not start that now? You can do that.”