Donor Spotlight: Patty Robbins and Ethan Davis
The ripple effect of wishes: Uniting communities
by Kali Sherman
In March 2020, Patty Robbins and Ethan Davis received the devastating news that their 5-month-old daughter, Leanna, had liver cancer.
Although Patty and Ethan knew of Make-A-Wish, Leanna’s diagnosis made the organization’s wish-granting mission hit home for them.
“After going through something like that and having your child undergo such intense treatments, you really start to understand the impact a wish can have on a child and their family,” says Patty.
Leanna was too young to qualify for a wish at the time but, throughout Leanna’s treatment, Patty and Ethan met several families who had experienced the transformative power of wishes. After Leanna’s tumor was successfully removed and she completed chemotherapy, Patty and Ethan decided to reach out to Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area and get involved.
What better way to give back than to an organization that gives back to kids and families going through similar situations?
Patty
Ethan Davis and Patty Robbins with family at one of our most popular wish destinations Aulani, A Disney® Resort & Spa.
Patty says, “We thought, ‘What better way to give back than to an organization that gives back to kids and families going through similar situations?’”
Patty and Ethan joined the chapter’s Development Committee later that year, working together to help raise awareness and generate support of the mission through their separate business networks.
“Both of them are kind, generous, and have a deep belief in the impact that wishes have on kids fighting critical illnesses,” says Dennis Schrag, senior major gifts officer at Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area.
Patty and Ethan have also supported Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area by getting involved in fundraising events. They have donated auction items for Wishes on the Vine and sponsored the chapter’s annual gala, Evening of Wishes. They even hosted a fundraising reception in their own home, inviting friends and colleagues to learn more about Make-A-Wish. Over the years, they have helped raise nearly $50,000—enough to grant five life-changing wishes—and counting!
One experience at the reception really stood out to Patty. Make-A-Wish invited a local wish family, who shared how their wish journey gave them hope during their darkest times. To everyone’s surprise, although they didn’t have many encounters, Patty and Ethan discovered the family previously lived across the street from them during the height of the pandemic.
“It was really eye-opening, you know?” says Patty. “Anyone can be affected. We had no idea they went through something like that. Getting to hear all of these wish stories, seeing how they have positively impacted these families, and feeling that sense of connection has been the most rewarding part of this partnership.”
Beyond the joy a wish brings to a wish kid, Patty and Ethan believe that wishes have a broader impact. “Having that sense of community and belonging that Make-A-Wish brings is so meaningful,” says Ethan. “The impact goes beyond the wish families but to the whole community. It brings so many different people together from different backgrounds to do something good, and it’s just been so wonderful to be a part of.”
The feeling is mutual, according to Schrag. “We’re so lucky to have benefactors like Patty and Ethan as part of our community,” he says. “They are difference makers.