Finding Beauty in Life's Messes Thorough a Wish

Wish mom Lamelle Ryman reflects on the healing impact of her daughter's wish.  

"My daughter Neshama had 18 cycles of chemotherapy and 28 days of radiation therapy. But chemo and radiation are only part of the picture when it comes to healing. There is a dimension to healing that goes far beyond medical treatment, and yet, is equally powerful and necessary. That is the emotional wellbeing – the mindset – of the person who is healing, and the people surrounding her. 

And that’s where Make-A-Wish comes in. 

The Make-A-Wish Foundation was something I’d heard about my entire life and admired from afar. I never expected to have a personal connection with Make-A-Wish. But then, who does? 

In the haze of the first few weeks following her diagnosis, when I learned that Neshama was eligible to make a wish, even though we were in the middle of what felt like a black hole, I felt a surge of happiness. “She gets to make a WISH?” 

By providing a light in the darkness, Make-A-Wish helped us build our approach to the challenge of cancer. It showed us that even in the midst of crisis, there can be moments of joy and hope. This became our family's paradigm for fighting cancer. 

Just simply the experience of brainstorming with Neshama about her wish, saying, “You can make a wish to do anything that you want to do in the whole world, and there are people who are going to try and help make it come true” took her focus to a place of joy and hope. One moment she was contemplating wishing for a trip to Australia, India or Japan and the next moment she was imagining having tea with Emma Watson, JK Rowling, and Queen Elizabeth. Her imagination seemed endless. 

Eventually, she honed-in on a wish that would combine two of her great loves — art and movies. Neshama’s wish was to make an animated short film. And, after an amazing collaborative process spanning several months, with the partnership between Make-A-Wish and Peter Reynolds and Tone Thyne of FableVision Studios, Neshama directed a four-minute animated short film entitled, “The Klumz.” The Klumzes are a bunch of mythical furry creatures that our family blames for everything, from a spilled glass of milk to toys blanketing the living room floor. In Neshama’s film, the Klumzes delight in making messes because they find them beautiful." 

- Lamelle Ryman