A Wish Come True
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Wishes can come true.
Brenna Jeffreys' did Friday when the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Indiana granted hers - to have an outdoor playset.
Brenna, 3, of South Lake Sharon Road, Warsaw, was diagnosed with infant acute lymphocytic leukemia, a rare form of leukemia, at 4 months and received a bone marrow transplant from her brother Andrew, now 5, on June 6, 1997.
Though she is now considered in remission, she still has 2-1/2 years to go before she is considered cured.
"She's been absolutely normal," her father, Doug, said Friday. "She has more lust for life than all of us put together."
Doug said what the Make-A-Wish Foundation did "is fantastic."
He said Brenna told him the swingset was perfect, a word he never heard from her before Friday.
"We feel blessed. She's been a blessing for us," he said.
Doug said it would be more difficult had he and his wife, Leslie, not had the support of their families, friends, church and even strangers.
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Indiana met with the family about a month ago. Initially, Brenna wanted to go to Walt Disney World, but later changed her mind and went with a swingset.
"Ultimately," Doug said, "I think it was the best choice."
Friday, the swingset was built in only a few hours by a couple of professional builders. Brenna, Andrew and their sister Kyrsta, 7, were all playing on it by 3 p.m.
Volunteers of the General Electric Co. Elfun group were also on hand to see Brenna's face light up when the project was completed. Members of the Elfun volunteers are retired or current employees of General Electric. This was their first project in working as "wish makers" under the auspices of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The volunteers helped facilitate and coordinate the project.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Indiana grants wishes to children between 2-1/2 and 18 years who suffer from terminal or life-threatening illnesses. More than 100 wishes for children of Indiana are granted each year.
The average cost of a wish is $5,500 and the average age of a "wish child" is 9.
Wishes to Walt Disney World are chosen by 46 percent of the "wish children." Funding is provided by individuals, civic organizations, corporations, grants and in-kind gifts.
Approximately 80 percent of the Make-A-Wish Foundation's total revenue supports wishes. [[In-content Ad]]
Wishes can come true.
Brenna Jeffreys' did Friday when the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Indiana granted hers - to have an outdoor playset.
Brenna, 3, of South Lake Sharon Road, Warsaw, was diagnosed with infant acute lymphocytic leukemia, a rare form of leukemia, at 4 months and received a bone marrow transplant from her brother Andrew, now 5, on June 6, 1997.
Though she is now considered in remission, she still has 2-1/2 years to go before she is considered cured.
"She's been absolutely normal," her father, Doug, said Friday. "She has more lust for life than all of us put together."
Doug said what the Make-A-Wish Foundation did "is fantastic."
He said Brenna told him the swingset was perfect, a word he never heard from her before Friday.
"We feel blessed. She's been a blessing for us," he said.
Doug said it would be more difficult had he and his wife, Leslie, not had the support of their families, friends, church and even strangers.
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Indiana met with the family about a month ago. Initially, Brenna wanted to go to Walt Disney World, but later changed her mind and went with a swingset.
"Ultimately," Doug said, "I think it was the best choice."
Friday, the swingset was built in only a few hours by a couple of professional builders. Brenna, Andrew and their sister Kyrsta, 7, were all playing on it by 3 p.m.
Volunteers of the General Electric Co. Elfun group were also on hand to see Brenna's face light up when the project was completed. Members of the Elfun volunteers are retired or current employees of General Electric. This was their first project in working as "wish makers" under the auspices of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The volunteers helped facilitate and coordinate the project.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Indiana grants wishes to children between 2-1/2 and 18 years who suffer from terminal or life-threatening illnesses. More than 100 wishes for children of Indiana are granted each year.
The average cost of a wish is $5,500 and the average age of a "wish child" is 9.
Wishes to Walt Disney World are chosen by 46 percent of the "wish children." Funding is provided by individuals, civic organizations, corporations, grants and in-kind gifts.
Approximately 80 percent of the Make-A-Wish Foundation's total revenue supports wishes. [[In-content Ad]]