Margie Tan Honors Her Son by Wishing It Forward
"Resilience" is a word we’ve heard a lot recently, but Women’s Council Member Margie Tan has embodied it for years. She is a remarkable woman who channeled her grief into positive energy that is changing the lives of other children.
"There are many things we can control," Margie said. "Others, such as cancer, we sadly cannot."
Margie's toddler son, Ollie, the youngest of three, was diagnosed with leukemia a few months before his second birthday. In the year that followed, he bravely battled through chemotherapy and two bone marrow transplants and clinical trials... but his cancer kept coming back.
"When Ollie's wish granting volunteer came to interview him, Ollie didn't speak to him at all. They just played with his dinosaurs," Margie said. "A few days later, we were on our way in a limo filled with stuffed dinosaurs taking us from Memorial Sloan-Kettering to the Museum of Natural History."
Ollie's wish to spend time with the dinosaurs he loved came true - the museum opened just for him, their family and medical staff.
"When we arrived at the museum, Ollie burst out of the limo. I don't think I had ever seen him run so fast," said Margie. "He was no longer tied by tubes to machines. He was free."
During the next few hours, Ollie was a normal two-year-old boy laughing, pointing at dinosaurs and roaming the halls of the museum. They were like a normal family, taking the children to the museum.
"Wishes are powerful and memorable. For our family, Ollie’s wish to be with the dinosaurs he so loved was one of the happiest times for him and us, as a family - and it was a wonderful break from a difficult and sad period. We feel very fortunate to have that memory with Ollie, when he happily roamed amongst his dinosaur friends at the museum.”
Two months after his wish, Ollie lost his courageous battle.
"Ollie left us more than just memories. He has been and remains an inspiration with his quiet strength, patience, sense of humor and kindness," Margie said. "He also helped us find an extended family - the Make-A-Wish family."
After his passing, Margie used exercise as an outlet to manage her grief. Over time, she coupled that passion with a desire to recognize the impact Make-A-Wish had had on Ollie and her family. She created Team Ollie and the Wish Workout fundraiser, a series of fitness classes all over NYC, with proceeds donated to Make-A-Wish. Even a global pandemic could not deter her – in 2020, Wish Workout fitness classes were held online to great success.
“I will never recover from the loss of Ollie,” she said. “I can only work to make myself stronger to deal with the loss. Getting into fitness was a healing process for me, as I became stronger, mentally and physically. And the support that came generously and quickly from so many NYC studios and instructors was incredible, so that, together, we were able to create the Wish Workout to help others as I and my family were helped.”
We are fortunate to have Margie as the co-chair our chapter’s Women’s Council, a group of volunteer wish granters, wish moms and professional women who are dedicated to helping Make-A-Wish Metro New York achieve its mission. In addition to Wish Workout, they host a variety of different fundraising and networking events throughout the year.
Margie and her husband Greg are also generous supporters of our annual gala, our chapter’s largest fundraising event of the year. When asked why she felt strongly about supporting Make-A-Wish, Margie said, “The happiness the wish experience brought Ollie was priceless.” She gives and encourages others to give so that “other families can know the happiness, relief and renewal a wish can bring.”
We are so very grateful to Margie Tan and her family for their generosity and dedication to making life better for kids battling critical illnesses in our community.
