Wish Opens Doors to Possibilities: Abe's Story
It was a post on Make-A-Wish® Minnesota’s Facebook page that called to Abe Savage, a project manager for a local building company. The social media post was for a local boy Noah, 12, who wished to have a wheelchair-accessible door to his back porch.
Noah had never once been on his family’s back porch. Because of his neurological condition, he has very limited mobility – accessing the backyard wasn’t possible. For Noah, having a door from his bedroom to the back porch meant he could finally see the trains he heard from his room and watch his mom toss the ball with their dogs. For Noah, it meant freedom.
Abe knew he was called to do some-thing big. Without hesitation, he gathered the owner of the construction company, friends and neighbors – even drove several hours to Nebraska to pick up his mother, a fellow carpenter, for support.
Noah’s wish would finally come true, thanks to Abe’s big idea and the generosity of neighbors.
Uniting the Community
In one week, the community came together to make Noah’s wish come true. What once was a blank wall, transformed into two beautiful French doors leading out to a wheelchair-accessible ramp and an updated porch. Abe and his mother even personally redecorated Noah’s room with all his favorite characters, and neighbors leant their helping hands to yard work.
The day finally came for Abe, his mother, all their friends, family and Make-A-Wish volunteers to surprise Noah and his mother Stacy. When Stacy pushed Noah out the doors and down the ramp, Noah’s smile and his mother’s happy tears were priceless.
The Impact of a Wish
Each wish is unique – it opens doors to new possibilities, even new connections. For Abe and Noah’s family, it means a lifelong friendship – one that may not have occurred without the wish.