At the young age of 15, a leukemia diagnosis turned Ty’s world upside down. A carefree childhood quickly faded away for Ty as he managed intensive chemo treatments, long hospital stays, and discussions around various health complications for Ty’s future. After a two-year battle, though, Ty was granted a wish to travel to Disney World with his family, including his three brothers and his parents. “It truly gave us a time to be together, to laugh, to be grateful, to reset, to regroup, to reenergize, to witness the compassion of others, to forget problems for a while, and the list goes on... there is healing power in a wish,” Ty recalls.
Ty’s wish marked a turning point in his life, and the impact of his wish stayed with him. Today, Ty inspires others through speaking publicly about his experience with cancer, and the Ty Eschenbaum Foundation provides cancer survivors with college scholarships.
Having been on the receiving end and understanding the profound impact a wish has on young lives, I now have a stronger calling toward volunteering and being a donor.
Ty’s life drastically changed again when his fiancé, Autumn, passed away unexpectedly. “I knew I wanted to do something to remember and honor her. She was the most compassionate, caring person, and no one had a softer heart for children than Autumn did,” he explains. Ty and Autumn’s family turned to Make-A-Wish, seeking a way to support the organization that first celebrated Ty’s healing. Creating an endowment, they committed to fund at least one wish with Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana every year for forever. The children who receive wishes through the endowment are known as “Autumn’s Wish Kids.” The endowment began by adopting its first wish, 7-year-old Taelyn’s wish to go to Disney World. "I hope these kids know that their wish comes with the most beautiful guardian angel. Simply getting to meet kids like Taelyn makes any minor efforts on our part completely worth it."
Our decision to grant wishes in Autumn’s memory feels so right... I’m not certain that we chose to do it; I think it chose us.