March Selected For Make A Wish Program
By Kevin Fox
While many of us have heard of the "Make A Wish" Foundation, which grants the wish of children with life-threatening illnesses, few of us personally know of a child who has been fortunate enough to receive this special honor. This will soon change because 4-year-old Garet March of Luray has been notified that on Sunday July 1, volunteers of the Make-A-wish Foundation of Metro St. Louis will meet with Garet and his family to learn what Garet’s wish may be. The team will meet with Garet’s family in Bowling Green. Garet is the son of Jacob and Erin March. It was Erin who submitted Garet’s name for consideration. At the time it was a very low time for the family. Garet was not responding to the medicine and his seizures were getting worse and worse. He had also had some test done that diagnosed him with something else and that diagnoses did not paint a good picture. The family had reached a point where they began to wonder what else could happen. It was at that time Erin saw a commercial about Make A Wish Foundation and submitted his name.
In order to be eligible for the Make-A-Wish children must have a life threatening illness. Garet was born with a seizure disorder. Garet’s mother, Erin takes the story from here. "Normally this is not considered life-threatening. However, because Garet was born with this, it has been extremely difficult in finding a medicine that he can take. He has been on seizure medicine since he was born. The first medicine he was on to control his seizure is only given to infants. After he turned two there really wasn’t medicine approved for children, so he had to take adult medicine, which can have horrible side effects such as liver and kidney failure. Currently, Garet is doing better and they have taken him off the adult medicine although he still has seizures at night. But he is living a normal life and was in pre-school this year. However, these seizures are something that he will have to live with the rest of his life with." Erin continued, "We have talked about what his possible wish might be. Not so he asks for something that the family might want, but because he is just 4 years old it’s impossible for him to comprehend what wishing for anything you want means. But the team that will come and interview us has experience in these matters and will they find out what Garet really wants. The letter that Garet received confirming his selection reads, "Wave your imaginary wand, close your eyes and begin to wish… Imagine all the things that are special to you. What hero would you like to meet, what magical places would you like to visit, what do you wish you could be, what have you dreamed of having? Send all your troubles away. Forget what might impress your friends, your family, your parents. Don’t worry about money. Just think about magic. Hold on to your thoughts tight, and make one true, heartfelt wish for the dream that would bring you a lifetime of joy. Now wait for the magic to begin…Your magical wish granters Cindy & Tracy will be arriving soon. We have no idea what he might ask for, however the past couple of weeks he has begun mentioning Shamu and we have no idea where that came from."
The team will talk to the March family as long as it takes to find out what Garet might wish for. They will also talk to Garet’s physician in Columbia as to what he can and cannot do. Garet has a sister Alexis and a brother Levi.
Erin concluded with this, "As important as this is for Garet, it’s also important to the rest of the family because we go through things together as a family. Garet is a normal 4 year old to us and that’s how we attempt to treat him. He is the typical ill child that looks healthy to the average person. But this experience will be life changing and something that he will remember the rest of his life, as will the rest of the family. It’s also vital to recognize that the Foundation exist and what a simply unbelievable idea of granting a wish for anything the seriously ill child desires. These people are just unbelievable and if you are looking for a group to support I cannot say enough about the work that they do. Our hope is that Garet’s wish comes true before school begins this coming fall."
