Make-A-Wish (MAW) is better able to fulfill our mission with the help of multilingual and Spanish-speaking volunteers like Rebeca Thomas who, in 2014, attended a Make-A-Wish presentation at work. While listening to the MAW speaker share the need for volunteers, Rebeca immediately felt a calling that it was a good fit for her and something she wanted to do. She admired the Make-A-Wish mission, and it was the perfect opportunity for her to utilize her Spanish language skills. Her decision made, she promptly got involved with our chapter. Rebeca has been actively volunteering with Make-A-Wish ever since, serving primarily our Spanish-speaking families for nearly 10 years.

What’s compelled you to volunteer with Make-A-Wish for close to 10 years?

I keep volunteering with MAW because it is so rewarding and fulfilling — Seeing the smiles on the wish kids’ faces, planning wishes, seeing how happy they all are. I’m really excited to work with the Hispanic community. They are so humble, and they appreciate all that we do so much. Sometimes, it’s difficult if there is a language barrier and an absence of technology. It’s not always easy, but the wish parents continuously express their deep gratitude. I’m touched by how humble and grateful the families are that I work with.

Can you share an especially memorable experience working with a Spanish-speaking wish family?

My favorite wish type to volunteer with are shopping sprees because I get to spend time with the wish kid and his or her family. One particularly memorable shopping spree wish was with a little girl named Perla. She was four years and so adorable — I thought of her for weeks following. We conducted her shopping spree wish at Concord Mills, and I had arranged a surprise “Build-A-Bear” experience for her. After we visited all the places and did the things that Perla wanted, I told her that we had one more surprise for her: The Build-A-Bear Workshop toy store. Perla had never been there and she absolutely loved it. Her eyes were so big! Perla specifically wanted skate shoes on her personalized stuffed animal. The store staff were so supportive, and the time spent there was very special. She also got clothes, shoes, and even a hat for her new stuffed friend. The whole family said that it was a special experience and even Perla’s older brother exclaimed, “This is the best day!”

Have you seen or experienced firsthand the power of wish to help a family?

A wish is amazing for a child’s morale. “Their dreams” is what I hear all the time. A wish gives a child with a critical illness hope. It’s not just doctors and hospital visits — A wish is something good coming. The power of the wish is not only for the wish kid — It’s for the whole family, who may feel forgotten and are quietly suffering with all they are going through. Wishes are just magical to them.

Another wish that is very memorable for me was a young girl named Jadyn. Her wish was to go to Argentina. Jadyn wanted no other wish. She would not even provide me a second wish option during her Wish Discovery visit. Her dad is from Argentina, and Jadyn wanted to visit her grandparents and cousins in-person for the first time.

Doctors initially said “no” to travel for Jadyn, but she was so motivated to go. She really wanted to get well to gain the approval to travel by doctors and Make-A-Wish. Following treatment, Jadyn’s medical team finally gave her approval to go; however, the Wish Review Board needed convincing. I advocated for Jadyn and put the Review Team doctors in touch with her doctors. They were eventually convinced by Jadyn’s progress and the wish trip was approved! Jadyn was so happy. She and her family made the trip and promptly sent me pictures of Jadyn meeting her grandparents and cousins for the first time. Her wish trip was all that she hoped it would be. 

How can we better serve the Hispanic community and our Spanish-speaking and multilingual wish families?

I think producing more communications in Spanish would serve the Spanish-speaking community. Short, easy, concise: Something simple and to the point. A document in Spanish that explains what Make-A-Wish is all about would be helpful. Families who are non-English speakers can be apprehensive because they don’t know what Make-A-Wish does and how wishes can impact a critically-ill child. The majority of families I work with don’t have computers and some don’t use email, either. For Spanish-speaking families, if they could be provided information about Make-A-Wish and the power of a wish, that would be useful.

What do you want others to know about volunteering with Make-A-Wish?

I want others to know how rewarding, inspirational, and fulfilling it is. There are many ways to volunteer — helping with the understanding and the importance of the Make-A-Wish mission, the steps to granting a wish, making contact with the wish family — Those are all important pieces of the overall wish process: Helping a family understand how important a wish can be in the life of a critically-ill child.