Karin's Wish

She loves to travel to different countries, so at first she thought she wanted to go on a trip for her wish. Then she thought of meeting celebrities on the red carpet at a movie premiere. But deep down none of these options felt right. She knew they were not her one true wish.

One day, as she was shopping on Amazon, Karin came across adorable pillows shaped like lungs. The lungs were smiling, happy, approachable. She began to think of all of the kids, just like her, living with a pulmonary disease, and she decided that, despite her struggles with her illness, she truly had everything that she wanted.

Instead of wishing for something that only she could enjoy, she wanted to turn her wish experience into one that others can enjoy as well. She knew she wanted to give instead of receive. She told Make-A-Wish that she wanted to gift the loveable lung pillows to all of the pulmonary patients at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. While Karin’s original vision involved a day for her to personally deliver the pillows to kids at CHOP, due to COVID-19, the delivery had to be contactless.

Karin says, “The kids have received their lung pillows, and that’s all I ever wanted.” Karin even received a lung pillow herself, as well as a basket full of Make-A-Wish items to help her remember her incredibly selfless wish experience. Samantha Perzin, a Child Life Specialist at CHOP, says that the patients have absolutely loved the pillows and “it brings our staff so much joy to hand them out in Karin's honor.” She has expressed thanks on behalf of the entire pulmonary unit at CHOP.

Karin’s mom says that the experience “helped her to realize that she is not alone and that she is able to help other people.” Karin can take comfort knowing that her wish has positively affected hundreds of kids with whom she has a connection of care and compassion, forever.