A wish is not one day - it’s forever.
After 40 years, you’d think the emotions of that time would blur, but they don’t. No words will ever be able to put it right. Sam’s wish was paramount to our survival.
We’re writing this joint letter from our family to yours in Sam’s memory. It warms our hearts knowing that he can help make a difference through his story. Sam was such a smart, wonderful, funny little guy and we loved him so much.
After he was diagnosed with leukemia in 1978, our entire world turned upside down. Promises of tomorrow were no longer guaranteed.
When Make-A-Wish Oregon entered the picture, we weren’t sure what to think. As the first local wish family, there was no road map. All we knew was that a group of big-hearted people promised to make Sam’s dream come true at no expense to us, and we were grateful.
Little did we know this meeting would change our lives forever.
At the time, Sam’s favorite TV show was CHiPS. He would watch it every night before bed. So, we weren’t surprised when he told the Make-A-Wish team he wanted to meet “Ponch” in real life. Volunteers went out of their way to make his wish come true in a matter of weeks and it was incredible.
When we arrived on set, Erik Estrada looked Sam right in the eye and said, ‘Let’s go for a ride and talk,’ and off they went on his motorcycle. Then, he came back for Sam’s sister, Amanda, and took her on a ride too. It was so special to us all. Erik gave his whole heart to our family that day.
Being able to completely lose ourselves in the moment and not think about Sam’s illness or his prognosis was good medicine.
When we got home, Sam should have been exhausted, but he was euphoric. He was happy and he became a little more confident, too.
After Sam lost his fight with cancer, it was the most difficult time in our lives. Many families do not make it, there’s divorce and separation. It’s life-altering losing a child. We believe that Make-A-Wish made us more solid than we ever were. Memories of Sam in pain were replaced with memories of him laughing and smiling. It helped us so much to hold on to those memories.
When you give to Make-A-Wish you can help create these memories for more than 350 local families who are battling the pain and trauma caused by a critical illness. Please give from your heart today to help families like ours pull through the hard days.
After all this time, we still have all of the photos and souvenirs from that trip. We keep them to remind us of the good days with Sam and the good that’s all around us in the community. When you support Make-A-Wish you are showing local families that they are not alone, and that there are people who care about them.
That feeling stays with a family forever, no matter what. Thank you for being a part of the good in this world.
Sincerely,
Greg, Linda, and Amanda
P.S. Hanna Andersson will match all gifts up to $20,000 in support of making wishes like Sam’s come true. Please give today.
P.P.S. Your company might also match your gift too. To find out visit: oregon.wish.org/MatchingGifts
