I wish to give back to my nurses at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
Willie
7
kidney transplant
A seven-year-old wishes to give back
How pizza pens and a surprise lunch made Willie’s day
Seven-year-old Willie is going to school in person for the first time this year, and he’s loving it. Between the pandemic, and the unexpected discovery of chronic kidney disease at 4 ½ years old, Willie hasn’t been able to attend school in person until now.
Willie had been a healthy little boy until about 4 ½ years old, when he began to get colds frequently. One night, his parents, Lily and Ethan, took him to the ER because he was vomiting and had a high fever. It was then they discovered that Willie’s hemoglobin was half the normal level. Further testing at Stanford revealed Willie was in renal failure.
Willie in the hospital with one of his favorite nurses
The diagnosis surprised Lily and Ethan. No one knew that Willie had been experiencing chronic kidney disease. There had never been any indication of Willie’s body being sick until the back-to-back colds. “It happened very quickly,” says Ethan, Willie’s dad. “We were kind of overwhelmed by what was happening and we were just kind of dealing with it.”
“I remember it was April when we took him in,” says Lily, Willie’s mom. “Then his birthday was in May. So, on his birthday, that was actually the day they told us that he might need a transplant very soon. On his fifth birthday. And that was really too much for us.”
While arrangements for the transplant were being made, Willie underwent dialysis while being homeschooled. Lily and Ethan helped their son cope with the testing, dialysis, medications, and procedures he had to go through while waiting for the transplant. Willie, his younger brother Nathan, and his parents spent most of 2019 between home and the hospital.
“He just knew that he needs to do this so he can get better,” tells Lily. As he got a little bit older, “before the transplant and dialysis, we told him that he’s lucky that we could find some treatment to make him feel better.”
Willie’s parents’ encouragement helped him manage all the things he was going through to survive. He was calm during his blood draws and took his pills morning and night in preparation for his transplant surgery.
Just before the kidney transplant operation, Willie’s caregivers let him and his family know he was eligible for a wish. At the time, however, Ethan was in the adult hospital, preparing to donate his kidney to his son.
In January of 2020, Ethan gave Willie his kidney. Willie spent the next year recovering from surgery and attending 1st grade virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November of 2020, Willie’s family decided it would be a good time for Willie’s wish. The family’s social worker referred them and, soon after, plans to create a wish for Willie began.
“I think that it’s a really great opportunity for him to wrap up this whole experience because of everything he’s been through,” says Lily. “Something that he will remember.”
Willie and his brother Nathan prepare gift bags for his nurses
At first, Willie wished to see the snow, but COVID-19 restrictions prevented travel related wishes. Since Willie is a content kid, they had trouble coming up with a wish alternative. “I started to talk with him,” tells Lily, “and I told him, ‘well, you cannot think of a wish because you’re so lucky that you cannot think of anything!”
Lily asked Willie if he might want to use his wish to help someone. “He always mentions that he misses the nurses at the hospital. So, we said, ‘How about we do something for them,’ and he agreed!”
Once Willie decided his wish was to give back to his nurses at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, plans for a surprise day of gratitude got underway. Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area staff coordinated with staff at Stanford Children’s to host the festivities. Meanwhile, everyone made sure Willie was involved in the wish effort every step of the way. Two days before Willie and his family revealed the wish at the hospital, their wish planner Becki visited their home to drop off the supplies they would need to make gift bags.
“It was really great, because she came to our house the night before,” says Lily, “and then the next day, Willie and Nathan woke up and they worked really hard to put everything in the bags and Willie really enjoyed it. He was excited to be doing those things and knowing that the nurses were going to get them the next day.”
The gift bags for the nurses included special touches to remind them of Willie: a pizza pen (his favorite food), a handwritten note from him, and self-care goodies to show his appreciation.
Wish day came and Willie was beyond excited. “At first, he hid behind the wall because he thought it was a [real] surprise, because we’d say it’s a surprise,” laughs Lily. “So, when the nurses came out to where we were, he just popped out and said, ‘surprise!’”
Everything about the day was special for Willie and the nurses who’d helped him. There were balloons and signs, lunch was provided, and best of all, Willie and Nathan had prepared the gift bags with all their love and care.
“He was having his lunch and the nurses around him were just chatting and talking. It was amazing,” says Lily of the wish day. “I didn’t expect him to be so excited, but he told me, ‘I want to do more!’”
Willie’s wish highlighted the amazing support his nurses gave him, and their critical role in helping Willie get healthy again. Lily says his wish wrapped up a difficult period of his life and gave him and his family hope for the future ahead.
“I think the wish makes him realize that he survived something, that he accomplished somethings, and he should be proud of himself,” says Lily. “I think we really want to let him know that his health condition will never stop him from pursuing his dreams or making his dreams come true. We really appreciate Make-A -Wish helped us show that to him!”
For Ethan, experiencing his son’s wish gave him a new perspective on the power of a wish. “Make-A-Wish, we sometimes see the name, but then to really connect to what it’s doing—I think it’s important to give those kids something to expect and make their life a little easier,” he says. “And to bring them a bit more courage.”
In the upcoming months, Willie’s family is hoping to not have any more unpleasant surprises come their way and for Willie’s continued good health. They hope this story inspires the Asian community and others to get involved to bring wishes to more kids who need hope and courage as they fight critical illnesses.
“Make-A-Wish is making the kids realize that they’re worth it, and they can do more, and they can show other people how to live happily,” says Lily. “I hope that it never ends, and it can continue, and then I want to see all those smiles on those kids that are just wonderful.”
