An Angel in the Outfield: The 20th Anniversary of Katie’s Wish Come True
A wish can be a truly transformative moment.
It can provide families with cherished memories, once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tangible joy they can carry forward as they face whatever the future may bring.
A wish also has the power to infuse hope into every person who played a part, no matter how big or small. It can inspire a new generation of change-makers to step forward.
This week marks the 20th anniversary of Katie’s wish.
Two decades ago, the Oregon 12-year-old charged into the national spotlight. With ESPN cameras rolling, Katie marched her little league team onto Safeco Field and met the stars of the Seattle Mariners.
Her experience doused the community in joy - just like Katie was known to do herself. Her endless energy inspired countless others to be the good. Among them is Katie’s sister, Jamie, who is reflecting on the adventure and the hundreds of other wishes she’s made possible since Katie’s special day.
I would like to think that I have made my sister proud. I consider my work here as part of her legacy. She inspires me to courageously love and give in the way that she did every day.
Jamie, Wish Sister
For the Love of the Game
Baseball was always part of life for Katie. She and Jamie started in T-ball early on. With their dad coaching little league and mom acting as scorekeeper, it quickly became a family activity.
“It was clear from the beginning that my sister was a standout. She was outcompeting many of the other kids,” said Jamie. “She was a versatile player, jumping between shortstop, first base, catching, and pitching.”
As Jamie moved toward softball, it felt natural for Katie to be on her dad’s baseball team, despite being the only girl.
"She was a joy to watch, and I remember it being a point of pride to brag that my sister was that one girl hitting the ball farther than all the boys," said Jamie.
Katie was an incredible athlete. She had endless energy that radiated on and off the field.
“Saying my sister had a big personality feels like an understatement,” said Jamie. “She was funny, loving, and strong in character. To this day, I have yet to meet another person who so courageously approached life and seized every moment."
“On the way to a doctor’s appointment, my sister randomly smiled and waved at a guy in car that was passing by,” said Jamie. “My mom asked why she was waving. Katie responded, ‘He just looked like he was having a bad day.’”
Katie never missed an opportunity to tell someone she loved them and cared about them.
When Katie was 11, she had to leave the little league team she loved behind, as her family moved 146-miles away in rural Central Oregon.
Not long after her family settled in their new town, everything suddenly changed. Katie collapsed near her bedroom and found herself in the hospital room with doctors and nurses looking at an x-ray of her skull, then silently at her and her mother.
Katie had a rare form of brain cancer.
We knew that my sister had a poor prognosis from the beginning. Make-A-Wish was the one thing that she (and our family) had to look forward to during this very dark time in our lives.
An Unmatched Experience
While undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, the possibility of a wish kept Katie dreaming. Her parents encouraged her to wish for something they couldn’t provide.
“I vividly remember driving back to Central Oregon after one of Katie’s many doctor’s appointments and we were all discussing her wish,” said Jamie.
Katie had never been to a MLB game and idolized Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners.
“When thinking about what would really, truly bring her joy, it was clear that going to a baseball game would be good,” said Jamie. “But getting to share that experience with her friends and teammates would be great.”
By the time she turned 12, Katie’s dream of reuniting with her little league on a professional baseball diamond was set in motion.
“What separated this experience from tickets to a baseball game to a wish was my sister getting to be with her teammates. Her cancer prevented her from playing all contact sports, stripping her of this beautiful thing that held so much meaning for her and our family.”
The minute Katie made her way onto the field, her team lined behind her, she said two things: “I’m happy! Can I touch the grass?!”
She laid down, face brushing against grass, and felt the blades gliding across her cheek.
"Her teammates were her closest friends and getting to spend a day with them was beyond special," said Jamie.
The only thing missing from this moment was Katie’s closest friend Bryce, who had moved to Tennessee. They hadn’t seen each other in two years and following her diagnosis, Katie was afraid she may never see her best friend again.
While Katie and her team stood center field for a photo, the announcer called attention to a big surprise waiting beyond the sidelines. Bryce was soon sprinting onto the field and wrapped into a tearful hug with his best friend. Cameras from ESPN’s ‘My Wish’ captured the powerful reunion.
"The emotion you see in her ‘My Wish’ special, when Bryce ran out onto the field, was a moment I’ll never forget. It was more than the cherry on top," said Jamie.
Jamie says Bryce had been an integral part of her team and believes it rounded out her sisters wish experience - an experience also filled with feisty, star-studded meetings.
Katie’s team crowded around as she asked Adrián Beltré and Jamie Moyer to sign her head. Her hero, Ichiro Suzuki, made time for an exclusive, private meeting with the family and left his signature as well.
Katie chatted with all the players like she was just another one of the guys, like it was the most natural thing in the world for her to be out there on that field.
My sister got a chance to shine. She loved being the center of attention and it was all about her that day. She STRUTTED around that ballpark.
Jamie
Katie chatted with all the players like she was just another one of the guys, like it was the most natural thing in the world for her to be out there on that field.
“She was her authentic silly, charismatic, funny self – a Katie that we hadn’t gotten to really see much since her diagnosis,” said Jamie.
“As an adult I look back on that day, and I realize that perhaps the most important parts were the little moments. Moments teasing her friends, silly poses for photos, being surrounded by the people that loved her the most, doing something that we all loved together. She got a day to be a kid again.”
Katie and her team cheered the Mariners to victory that day, leaving the field with a powerful burst of joy and tender memories of affection to carry her and her family through the challenges that lay ahead.
The following year, Katie lost her battle to cancer. In her short life, she touched millions through her one, true wish.
An award was created in her honor called, ‘Katie’s Star,’ given to those exuding excellence in humanity with their involvement with Make-A-Wish Oregon and determination to do good.
A Legacy of Wishes
On Katie’s wish day, Jamie remembers looking at the
Make-A-Wish staff working and thinking, “How is this someone’s job?! And how do I get to do it someday?!”
Jamie and her parents stayed involved with Make-A-Wish Oregon and Jamie eventually became a volunteer. After meeting the CEO, it wasn’t long before Jamie was a member of the team.
"I’m grateful to be able to contribute to some joy for other families going through the unthinkable," she said.
Jamie says she’s too squeamish to work in the medical field, so Make-A-Wish feels like a way she can give to families whose hearts are so heavy and broken.
“I can’t fix the situations they’ve been placed in, but maybe I can help to provide a little light in a dark time.”
Jamie is a Senior Wish Manager, a driving force in creating magic behind the scenes. She plans wishes with precise care and focus on what would bring each individual child joy.
“Your world gets very dark when a child in your life is diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition,” said Jamie. “A wish can be a reminder of the light that is still out there.”
Jamie knows first-hand that wishes that get the community involved especially illuminate this. She believes most people, when given the opportunity, want to help and contribute where they can to make a bad situation just a little bit better.
It makes me proud to be able to offer this opportunity to people in our community so we can all try to give to those that need a little light.
Jamie
Jamie has now been planning wishes for nearly 10 years and has been the catalyst for more than 540 local wishes. She says Katie still inspires her to courageously love and give in the way she did every day.
"My sister smiled her entire wish day, and being able to contribute in some way to give other children that same opportunity is a privilege and an honor. I would like to think that I have made my sister proud," said Jamie.
The next time you hear the crack of a bat, bend down to feel a blade of grass or see someone who could just use a friendly wave to brighten their day - think of how Katie stood in the outfield and showed millions how to courageously step forward and choose to be the good, no matter what circumstance we face.
If you’re moved to get involved with the Make-A-Wish mission, we’d love to have you at the heart of making wishes possible. Learn more at: oregon.wish.org/waystohelp
