“I truly believed she thought I was a
princess. When I waved my magic wand, all I kept hearing out
of her was ‘wow!’” said Quinn, who teaches
law and is in her second year as president of the organization.
The Make-a-Wish Foundation has 77 chapters across the nation.
The Hawai‘i chapter hosts one of the largest number of
wish assists, or kids choosing Hawai‘i as a destination
wish. Quinn estimates her office hosts an average of 500 out-of-state
kids a year. “Our job there is to assist in fulfilling
the wish of a Hawaiian vacation, beginning with a traditional
aloha greeting at the airport,” said Quinn.
Hawai‘i is also fortunate to have one of the highest recovery
rates for terminally ill children, 50 percent. Quinn attributes
this success to advances in medical technology now available
and to the fact that kids in Hawai‘i are generally healthier
than their mainland counterparts.
Quinn, however, believes it is the wishes that have a larger
part in a child’s recovery.
“
We grant wishes to give them hope, strength, and joy. I believe
that’s what gets them through chemotherapy and other difficult
treatments,” said Quinn. “I’m humbled to be
a part of it.” |
