example of how one person can change a life. He is a genuine man of honor and dignity and deserves a true medal for his compassion. Being able to first hand grant a wish to a person with a terminal illness has not only stirred up joy in my heart but has also revealed to me the true hero’s of our society. While Lebron James is scoring 45 points in a game, these people are fighting from the core of their hearts to hang onto life and live just a little bit longer. To encounter such a trial in your life and be able to face each day with a smile and a positive attitude is something many people can’t even dream of doing. When you are diagnosed with leukemia and are told you have months to live, “hope” is not the first word that comes to mind. However Wish Granters is an organization that provides that. My first assignment was with a woman named Karen in Meridan. She was diagnosed with cancer and the odds didn’t seem to be in her favor. Her wish was for a new TV, as her old one was smaller and on its last leg. To want something as tiny as a TV in the last weeks of your life may seem silly to you, but it puts in perspective all of the small things many of us take for granted. The look in her eyes when we delivered that TV was something I will never forget. Her exact words were, “I don’t even know what to say you guys. It is so hard to wake up each day and wonder if you’ll make it till dinner, and I know this may seem silly to you, but this really gives me hope.” You can buy a tv, and you can buy trips to Hawaii, but HOPE… That is something you can not purchase; and THAT is what Wish Granters stands for. This is an organization that makes dreams come true. It is an organization that replaces a weak spirit with hope to pursue life for another day… and at the end of the day what else matters? I am blessed to be given the opportunity to be apart of this Wish Granters team and the thought of making more wishes in the future is what gives me hope.
Stevie Cottengim - Boise State University Service Learning Student
Hello! I am Stevie Cottengim and I’m almost a Senior (YEA) at Boise State University.
Being a part of Wish Granters is summed up with a quote given by Winston Churchill …
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a LIFE by what we give.”
Wish Granters has helped put this into perspective for me. I am only one person and even though I cannot do everything, I can do something and that something could be the difference in another’s life.
One of my wish visits was for a woman named Priscilla. Her wish was for a new bed. A bed? I thought. She has the choice of anything and yet she picks something as simple as a new bed. But I stopped and realized how fortunate I was to have a bed that I could sleep on happily and she did not. Too often do we think of all the things we don’t have and all the things we want but how often do we stop and be thankful for all the things we DO have. Delivering that bed was one of the greatest moments of my life. Once the bed was set up she sat down on it for the first time and said “Wow. I don’t even feel pain on my tailbone … this is the best feeling ever.” The next morning she awoke and said that she felt no pain like she always had before. NO PAIN. This all started out with one wish and with the help of others we were able to change her life.
I have learned to help thanks to Doug. It does not take much to make that one difference in someone else’s life. It can be small it can be big but always … always try to make that difference. Great opportunities to help others hardly come, but small ones surround us every day. Pay it forward and hopefully the chain will be never-ending.
I love Wish Granters and I am lucky to be a part of it. I only had to complete 15 hours but I found something that will last a lifetime.
Being a part of Wish Granters is summed up with a quote given by Winston Churchill …
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a LIFE by what we give.”
Wish Granters has helped put this into perspective for me. I am only one person and even though I cannot do everything, I can do something and that something could be the difference in another’s life.
One of my wish visits was for a woman named Priscilla. Her wish was for a new bed. A bed? I thought. She has the choice of anything and yet she picks something as simple as a new bed. But I stopped and realized how fortunate I was to have a bed that I could sleep on happily and she did not. Too often do we think of all the things we don’t have and all the things we want but how often do we stop and be thankful for all the things we DO have. Delivering that bed was one of the greatest moments of my life. Once the bed was set up she sat down on it for the first time and said “Wow. I don’t even feel pain on my tailbone … this is the best feeling ever.” The next morning she awoke and said that she felt no pain like she always had before. NO PAIN. This all started out with one wish and with the help of others we were able to change her life.
I have learned to help thanks to Doug. It does not take much to make that one difference in someone else’s life. It can be small it can be big but always … always try to make that difference. Great opportunities to help others hardly come, but small ones surround us every day. Pay it forward and hopefully the chain will be never-ending.
I love Wish Granters and I am lucky to be a part of it. I only had to complete 15 hours but I found something that will last a lifetime.
