Meet Our Hope Begins With Us Gala Ambassadors

Meet the ambassadors for our Hope Begins With Us Gala, to be held on March 25 at the Hall of Springs:

I wish to go to Walt Disney World^® Resort

Anthony, 7

Niskayuna

After Anthony went through the Workshop of Wishes and was told his wish to go to Walt Disney World^® Resort would be granted, he was shown a video in which a worker from Disney’s Animal Kingdom told Anthony how much she was looking forward to his visit.

At one point, the 7-year-old from Niskayuna asked, “Is this real?”

Yes, Anthony, it is.

Anthony’s April trip to Disney was a first for him. But for Make-A-Wish Northeast New York, it’s the 2,000^th wish since the chapter began granting wishes in 1987.

Wish dad Anthony marveled at the Make-A-Wish experience for the entire family.

“This has been special from start to finish,” the dad said “They really did treat Anthony and our whole family like royalty from the moment we stepped into the wishing room the first day, to the airport, to Florida and back. It’s something that we will always remember.”

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I wish to be the subject of a museum exhibit

Esmé, 11

Troy

Wish mom Hillary said her daughter Esmé’s Make-A-Wish Northeast New York wish is a story of patience, of waiting until her non-verbal daughter could communicate what she truly wanted.

When the non-verbal child expressed that for her wish she wanted to be the subject of a museum exhibit — and that exhibit would result in her writings being displayed in sculpture, song and even cake art at The Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy — it was clear the wish four years in the making was worth the wait.

“Esmé’s Stories: A Magical Journey” drew its inspiration from autobiographical tales sprinkled with fantasy penned by the Troy pre-teen.

“Esmé has a lot to teach this world about magic, love, jokes and fun – and why we must always presume the competency of individuals who communicate differently and support them in finding their own voices," wish mom Hillary said.

In November 2022, Make-A-Wish America bestowed the chapter and Esmé's wish its Wish Innovation Award, the national foundation's highest award for wishes. The award honors “chapters that have used exceptional creativity, imagination and innovation to fulfill the one true wish of a child.”

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I wish to meet the Anaheim Ducks

Jackson, 12

Rouses Point

Just before Make-A-Wish Northeast New York wish kid Jackson, clad in a complete Anaheim Ducks uniform, hit the Honda Center ice in front of more than 15,000 screaming fans prior to the Ducks-Vegas Golden Knights game, he glanced back in the players’ tunnel.

“That was the best part of the wish,” he said. “When I looked back, they were all behind me.”

Of course they were. The Ducks had Jackson’s back his whole memorable wish.

Jackson’s wish was to meet his favorite NHL hockey team, the Ducks. (The affinity comes from the movie, “The Mighty Ducks.”)

But the youth who plays hockey despite a heart condition that requires a pacemaker also signed to a two-day contract. And got his own gear.

And practiced with the team. And went to an arcade with players. And skated the Ducks onto the ice for their game against the Golden Knights on Dec. 28 to thunderous cheers.

And more. So much more – too much to list here. (The swag alone. …)

“It was amazing,” Jackson said on “Good Morning LA” the next day. (Yes, that happened, too.) “My wish finally came true after many years of waiting.”

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I wish to go to Hawaii

Jenna, 18

Guilderland

Jenna always dreamed of going to Hawaii. While undergoing treatment, she talked of her love for the beach, and wanting to see waterfalls and a volcano, and going snorkeling and attending a luau.

And that is what the teen did on her wish, and more.

“It was so well-organized,” Jenna said of her Hawaii wish. “We ended up doing things we wouldn’t have done by ourselves.”

Like so many wish recipients, Jenna’s treatment dominated the family’s life. (Remarkably, she continued to play high school sports.) Her wish marked an important transition.

“It was just such a nice, relaxing trip, just being together and not thinking about cancer,” wish mom Kathy said. “It was more than we could have imagined.”

Jenna agreed that her wish was indeed what she and her family needed.

“It was going from the worst part to the best part,” said Jenna, now a freshman striker on the Sacred Heart University women’s soccer team. “It was the highlight of my life.”\