GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) — The cheers and smiles following the wishes granted by Make-A-Wish all start with a drive to make a positive impact.
“I will make a difference in a kid’s life,” said Women Inspiring Strength and Hope (W.I.S.H.) Society honoree Jackie Orgler.
As a nurse, Orgler saw firsthand the struggles a child battling illness can face. Every 20 minutes, a child is diagnosed with a critical illness. One wish can change everything.
“Who can really say no to a child in making their wish come true?” asked Orgler. “It’s just one opportunity in their family’s life that’s so dark that they have one opportunity to be happy and free.”
Orgler is teaming up with 20 other women, including WLOX meteorologist Taylor Graham, as part of the W.I.S.H. Society. Their goal is to raise $100,000 this year to make wishes come true in South Mississippi.
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“It’s inspiring to see other women coming together to lift children up to make a difference,” said Graham.
Currently, 25 children in the area are waiting for their wishes to be granted. Those wishes can vary from trips to Disney World to a seat in a C-130, but some of the most powerful ones are the simplest.
“The little boy’s wish was to go to the Family Dollar and not to be told no, and of course, we made that happen,” said Orgler. “The child was happy going down the aisle, just throwing into his buggy left and right, and couldn’t get enough. For once in his life, he wasn’t told no and could go into that store and buy anything he wanted.”
Wishes like that create lasting memories during the hardest of times, and sometimes, the impact lasts for years. Graham knows that personally — a family member of her husband’s who was dependent on a wheelchair received a special gift thanks to Make-A-Wish.
“She was able to get a wheelchair swing through Make-A-Wish,” said Graham. “We are probably so close in relation to a lot of children that have illnesses or conditions that could really benefit from Make-A-Wish.”
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For these women, this is more than volunteering. It’s a chance to choose who they lift up.
“I choose to help kids,” said Orgler. “Make-A-Wish is magical and I feel like that is something to be a part of.”
To donate or learn more about how you can help Make-A-Wish Mississippi on the Coast, visit Make-A-Wish Mississippi’s website.
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