Nicole Kingsley-Brunner - How Wishes Found Me
To think that Nicole Kingsley-Brunner was once a stranger to Make-A-Wish is almost inconceivable, given her present-day involvement.
Her first exposure to the power of a wish came from her sister, who was working with a young boy as a private duty care nurse. It was there that her sister witnessed the incredible impact a wish could have not only on one child, but on their siblings and entire family.
When her sister shared her experience, Nicole knew immediately that she wanted to be a part of reaching more families. Her cousin was also a wish kid, though sadly, he passed.
“I felt like I was being presented with signs to get involved and I ran with it,” Nicole said.
She knew she most definitely wanted to be on the frontlines with her efforts, to have a direct impact and make a difference. So, she called the Make-A-Wish office, joined the New Leadership Council and enrolled in the very next Wish Granting Volunteer training.
“Once I learned more, I started to really count my blessings,” Nicole said. “I think about wish families; and if there is something that can give them motivation to keep going, I want to be part of that and make sure I do my part to make it a possibility.”
On very first wish, Nicole traveled to the hospital to wish kid Joseph and his family. He had a single mother, who had practically moved into the hospital to support her son. The pair impacted Nicole in more ways than one – especially as a mother herself.
“As a mom of two healthy kids, I couldn’t imagine what she was going through, but they had so much optimism,” she said. “He was so sick, going through chemotherapy, but he smiled and was so happy to talk to us.”
Nicole noticed that despite his walker, on his wish day, Joseph was “beyond energized.”
Joseph’s wish was only the beginning of Nicole’s journey, though. Since then, she has learned that wishes are more than just a single day or trip, and has ramped up her involvement in the organization.
“The memories and the emotion and the feeling around a wish lasts forever. It’s all about endless joy,” she said.
That forever feeling is what has kept her so engaged with the mission throughout her five-year history with Make-A-Wish. Whether it be with her involvement on the Rochester Advisory Board or the New Leadership Council, Nicole certainly knows how to give.
When it comes time to refill her tank, Nicole often turns to her family for strength and inspiration.
“I have been blessed with a big network of strong women,” she said. “My one grandmother had eight children and the other had six - things are easier when you put it in that type of context. It’s the right thing to do, to push forward for my daughters. I want a better life for the next generation, just like the woman ahead of me did.”