In the News

Lucas Kinley is a 9-year-old kid from Kingsport, with a love for all things Marvel.

The Nexstar Media Charitable Foundation and WJHL-TV, the Nexstar Media Inc. television station serving Tri-Cities, Tennessee, parts of Virginia, and the surrounding area, today announced that the Foundation will donate $6,500 to the Make-A-Wish East Tennessee. The donation was presented to Make-A-Wish during WJHL-TV’s annual telethon, designed to raise awareness and funds for the local chapter of the nationwide organization.

“WJHL has been a terrific storytelling partner for years,” said Garrett Wagley, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish East Tennessee. “The station has shared stories of magical wishes and the impact they have on children, families, and the community. Now WJHL and the Nexstar Media Charitable Foundation are putting money where their mouth is – literally. This grant will fund a wish right here in the area, bringing hope, strength, and joy to a child battling a critical illness. Partnering on the telethon, making this impactful gift, and setting an example for other community-leading companies, Nexstar and WJHL are making a difference for the special children we serve together.”

More than $160,000 was raised during August 10th's Make-A-Wish telethon on News Channel 11. One donor made a $100,000 donation just before the telethon ended.

Payton Marion is an 18-year-old who lives with cerebral palsy. His mother, Amy Marion, said that despite his challenges, Payton still manages to be the smartest kid she knows.

“He is physically not able to walk or to talk, but he is brilliant,” she said. “So, he is one of the smartest kids I know.”

Payton is an avid Star Wars fan, having seen all the films and watching videos about the top secrets in the Star Wars Resort in Disneyworld. Through Make-A-Wish, Payton and his family will spend five nights in Florida with two of those nights in the Star Wars hotel.

Corbin Wright received the surprise of a lifetime last week when he received a golf cart from the Make-A-Wish foundation. Corbin suffers from chronic severe epilepsy, which causes him to have multiple Myoclonic seizures a day. This comes with an added risk factor for Corbin, a condition called SUDEP which stands for Sudden Death Due to Epilepsy. Corbin’s mom, Ginger Wright, says that she knew a golf cart would be the perfect wish for her son after they visited a special needs camp, and he enjoyed riding the golf cart more than any of the other activities,

In this first episode of Benchmark Happenings, we meet with Garrett Wagley, CEO and Board Chair, Hayley Relford with Make-A-Wish East Tennessee! In this episode, we discuss how Make-A-Wish has changed the lives of children in East Tennessee and the impact it has had on their families. We also learn about some of the unique and rewarding experiences these children have had. To learn more about Make-A-Wish East Tennessee, or to find out how you can get involved, visit etn.wish.org.

As Levi Fisher battled cancer at St. Jude’s, his doctors encouraged him to wish big. But when the wish came true on Friday morning, it was much bigger than the 12-year-old could possibly have imagined.

When a child faces a serious illness, it’s not just the youngster whose life is affected: it’s also the family, the friends, the community and even the region. Each can lose hope and fail into despair under the tremendous weight. Make-A-Wish East Tennessee seeks to help ease these effects through wish granting.

Throughout a Knoxville teen's cancer treatments, he said he found solace at a state birding park. Campbell Maben is a Knoxville 18-year-old who recently graduated from L&N STEM Academy. He attends the University of Tennessee and has battled cancer. Maben is no longer in treatment and is in full remission. He connected with Make-A-Wish East Tennessee and on Saturday, his wish came true.

The wishes of a Maryville teen battling cancer came true on Friday when Make-A-Wish East Tennessee surprised him. They said Damian Andriopoulos, 14, wanted to meet Stitch and Pluto at the Magical Kingdom. He will leave for Orlando next week, but the organization held an event to celebrate him. So, they held a surprise announcement at Parkway Drive-In where they said he would go on the trip.