I wish to give to Comfort Zone Camp
Morgan
17
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Morgan's Wish Provides Comfort To Kids In Need
On April 22, 2022, after a seemingly normal day at school, Morgan’s world turned upside down during a sudden and traumatic visit to the emergency room. It was that day that she would be diagnosed with a rare kidney disorder and soon find herself attached to a dialysis machine four times a week after her kidneys failed.
“I would have never expected my life to change the way it did,” Morgan said. “But I was wrong, and my world was rocked. Life was exhausting and scary.”
Just a few months later, on August 16, Morgan would receive another diagnosis she never expected – Hodgkin’s lymphoma. While the new diagnosis gave her doctors a better understanding of why her kidneys had failed, it also meant that Morgan had multiple rounds of chemotherapy ahead of her.
“The days were long and tiring, but the doctors and my support system helped me get through each and every day,” Morgan said. “I told myself there was one thing I could control and that was the way I approached my illness, with a positive mindset.”
You never think it's going to be you. The kid with cancer. Until it is.
Morgan
wish kid
It was during her second round of chemotherapy that Morgan was introduced to Make-A-Wish. At first, she was hesitant to begin the referral process. “I turned to my parents and told them that I did not want to take a wish away from the little children I saw weekly at the hospital,” Morgan said. “I wanted them to experience all these wonderful things that Make-A-Wish offers.” It was Morgan’s Child Life Specialist that assured her that granting her wish would not take a wish away from anyone else, and that the vision of Make-A-Wish is to grant the wish of every eligible child.
“That took me by surprise,” Morgan said. “I thought how amazing it is that an organization like this exists to help put smiles on children suffering the unthinkable. Including me.”
When thinking of her wish, Morgan knew that she wanted to take the opportunity to give back. The first thing that came to mind was a nonprofit bereavement program her family had been involved with since its inception – Comfort Zone Camp. Comfort Zone Camp runs free-of-charge weekend-long camps nationwide, for children who have lost a parent, sibling or caregiver, to help navigate their grief journey and learn how to build trust. “I met with my team of wish granters and told them of my wish,” Morgan recalled. “I wanted to give my wish back. There are so many kids in our area that I know can benefit from attending Comfort Zone, and if I could make that happen, my wish would come true.”
Morgan’s one true wish came true when she presented Comfort Zone Camp with a donation that will help the organization provide their services to even more children in need. “I am so appreciative of Make-A-Wish,” Morgan said. “I know that this wish will truly change lives.”
Today, Morgan’s kidney disease and cancer are both in remission and the seventeen-year-old has plans to attend college in the fall. “I've learned a lot over the past year, and I will forever take these life lessons with me,” Morgan said. “I will never stop thinking of ways to pay it forward and to give back to those in need. Thank you for this amazing opportunity and making my wish come true.”
