Dear Friends at Make-A-Wish Vermont, 

I am writing today to share our family’s story about how our lives were forever changed by our son’s life-threatening cancer diagnosis, and the acts of kindness that followed. 

In June of 2020, our two-year-old son Soren was diagnosed with Leukemia. Due to the urgency of his diagnosis, we started chemotherapy three days later. We were now a family with a child fighting cancer, and our lives were changed forever.

My wife, Soren’s mom, Allie left her job as a preschool director, Soren’s sister Teagan stayed home instead of going to her first year of kindergarten, and I adapted to working from home. 

The first year of Soren’s treatment was intense, with long cycles of driving to the hospital every day. Neuropathy, a side effect of cancer-killing medicine, meant he went weeks without being able to stand up. His tough days were made easier because of the love of his big sister. When Soren didn’t have the strength to walk, Teagan would pull him around the house in a wagon to bring him anywhere he needed to go.

Over the following weeks, months, and years life became a little bit quieter. Some of the initial panic from the diagnosis subsided, and Soren slowly regained the strength to walk, run, jump, pedal, skateboard, ski, and snowboard. 

All along this journey, a community of support formed around us. Simple acts of kindness gave us the strength to push through each day. During the homestretch of Soren’s treatment, we were introduced to Make-A-Wish Vermont. 

Every family that has battled something like this deserves fireworks, cheering, and celebration. Last month, our children finally got that celebration when we took our first trip to the Make-A-Wish Vermont office at the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. 

When we arrived, the entrance was lined with children cheering and waving signs in the air. That experience would’ve been enough to make his day, but we spent the rest of our time brainstorming wish ideas with Make-A-Wish staff in rooms filled with giant stuffed animals, walls decorated with inspiring wish stories, and even a life-sized unicorn. By the end of our visit, Soren and his sister determined that his wish would be for a treehouse. They even worked together on their initial sketches. 

Allowing Soren and Teagan to dream up something fun together has been special in many ways I never expected for us. We learned that Make-A-Wish can be a bright beacon of hope and light for children facing critical illness when it gets too dark and hard to see. 

Now that we have experienced first-hand how important wishes are to families like us, we are determined to give back in any way we can. So please join us to help grant wishes in Vermont by donating today to Make-A-Wish.

Thank you, 

Shane, Allie, Teagan & Soren