Written by: Nancy Bartlett, Asst. Sec./PR
Taylor Marini, Development Coordinator, Make-A-Wish Foundation Southern Florida, spoke at the Lehigh Kiwanis Club Breakfast Meeting, Aug. 3, 2016, held at Hope Hospice Community Room. She explained the Foundation’s Mission, which “serves a unique, and vital, role in helping strengthen and empower children battling life-threatening medical conditions”.
Ms. Marini, has been a Fort Myers, Florida resident since 2007, and began working with Make-A-Wish Foundation upon graduation from FGCU in 2011. She stated that there are four steps for their Foundation to grant wishes for the children. 1. They must first be referred by the attending physician, professionals, parents or guardians, or the children, themselves. They must be 2-to under 18 years of age. 2. Their physician must determine that the child’s medical condition is life-threatening. 3. The volunteers then connect with the wish-children to awaken their imaginations and help them to envision an experience with the power to change lives. And lastly, 4. The wish grantors create an unforgettable experience driven by the child’s creativity. They strive to personalize each wish and make it match the wish-kid’s idea of a perfect day. Volunteers do much of the work to accomplish these wishes.
Make-A-Wish Foundation Southern Florida encompasses Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties.