By: Angelina Rivera
According to the Make-A-Wish Guam website, Make-A-Wish Guam started as a partnership with Hawaii on December 1987. John Reyes, the first and only wish kid of the Hawaii-Guam Division, wanted to meet Goofy at Disneyland and see snow. Reyes was a 9-year-old boy, who suffered from acute lymphocyte leukemia. Reyes’ wish came true; the following year Reyes passed away on November 13, 1988.
Reyes became Guam’s inspiration to continue as a solo chapter. Thanks to Frank F. Blas, former Lt. Governor, children from Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan with life threatening medical conditions, could make wishes and have them come true. A 13-year-old named Michael, Guam’s first wish kid, wished for a personal computer, which came true.
Eric Tydingco, Make-A-Wish Guam’s Interim Executive Director was once a volunteer, who helped produce a video production for the foundation. By producing this video, Tydingco was encouraged to become a board member of Make-A-Wish Guam.
As an Executive Director, Tydingco must insure that the mission of Make-A-Wish is carried throughout the Chapter, make sure they are financially healthy, to promote and publicize the foundation, and maintain a collaborative working relationship with the board.
“There are so many moments that I am fond of, but earlier this year I was able to talk to a wish kid and her mom and interview both after they returned from their Wish. It was very emotional for the mom as she realized that her daughters’ dream came true by the works of the foundation. Seeing the kids when they are granted their wishes is the best part of the job,” Tydingco said.
Make-A-Wish is about giving a child or teen from 2 ½ to 18 with a life threatening medical conditions, a chance to want to fight harder or experience a life changing moment before their last breath.
In 2011, Make-A-Wish Guam granted a 16-year-old girl named Jolynn Aquino’s wish to meet the cast from Extreme Makeover. She is diagnosed with Lupus, which is an autoimmune disease that attacks bacteria, viruses, and healthy tissue, which causes a person to be tired, have joint pain, fevers, skin rash, and ruin main organs like the heart, lungs, and liver.
Aquino got a chance to meet the cast of Extreme Makeover also another wish kid, who had the same wish. She had the chance to see seven houses built in seven days and visit her relatives in Vegas afterwards.
Aquino is still fighting her medical condition a day at a time. She is trying to go back to school. She is in a volleyball club, sang with her Parish choirs, and she is involved in the Lupus Awareness Group of Guam since it was formed in 2012.
“Life has been very challenging with Lupus, I would end up in the hospital if I got a flu, my family helps me cope with it because this illness is hard to deal with on my own,” Aquino said.
Aquino hopes to volunteer one day with Make-A-Wish Guam as her way to give back.
Since 1987, Make-A-Wish Guam granted 265 wishes throughout Guam and the CNMI. From the beginning of 2016 to now, they granted 14 wishes.
Program Service Manager, Kaleena Aguon enjoys her job as much as a chef enjoys cooking.
Make-A-Wish Guam gave Aguon a chance to make a difference in the world by putting smiles on the faces of children who deal with life threatening condition.
“The work we do is very rewarding and fulfilling. It’s a blessing to be able to give these children and their families something to look forward to during difficulty and worry,” Aguon said.
In December 2016 Make-A-Wish Guam is going to grant a young lady from Saipan who wishes to go to Disneyland with her family. They will be ending the year 2016 with 15 wishes granted and a happy young lady with an experience she never thought would ever happen.