Make-A-Wish Foundation of Sacramento and Northern California

California State Capitol (West Steps)
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Registration 9:00am
10:00am Stage Program
10:30am Walk
Registration is FREE! Register Online Today

Natalie Bomke( FOX40), Wish Kid Dominic, & Donna Wooley the Clown at the 2009 Walk.
Photo Courtesy of Marion Isaac.

Walk Highlights

3-mile Walk through downtown Sacramento with a 1-mile shortcut
Best Pajamas Competition
Live Entertainment & Wish Kid Warm-Up
Yummy Pancake Breakfast
Fun Kids Activities & more!

How You Can Help!

Form a Walk Team – Simply gather your friends, family, and co-workers to spread the word about walk. Begin getting them registered on your team and forming a fundraising plan-of-action. For a team captain coaching session contact Juliana at jisaac@makeawish-sacto.org or 916-427-0206 ext. 220.

Visit www.pajamawalkforwishes.org today to register your walk team online.

Team Sutter Caring for Kids is already kicking their team into high gear for the new fundraising season. Their first fundraiser is already planned for early December. With Team Captain’s Michelle Foster and Margie Mott leading the way, they are sure to be a successful as ever! Photo Courtesy of Wedding Photography by Erica.

Cool Things to Know!

Team Captain Packet
Easy Printable Registration Flyer
Team Captain Plan of Action
Become a Corporate Sponsor – With these tough economic times, we need new companies to come on board to support the event financially. Talk to your employer about opportunities for becoming a partner for the Walk.

Quest is a terrific supporter of the Walk. Not only do they support Make-A-Wish with corporate dollars, they also gather their employees to form a walk team raising even more money for wishes! Go Quest!

Corporate Sponsor Benefits Summary

Sponsorship Confirmation Form

And on with the Show….

Introducing Wish Kid Sadie, our 2010 Walk ambassador.
Photo by Kevingraft.com.

Sadie’s Story…

Our daughter, Sadie (then six years old), was diagnosed on Christmas Day of 2007 with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a cancer of the adrenal system. She had a solid tumor in her abdomen and 90% of her bone marrow was cancerous. The treatment for this disease is fast and hard. Sadie underwent six months of the strongest chemotherapy drugs available, surgery to remove the solid tumor, an intense conditioning chemotherapy followed by a rescue stem cell transplant to restore her immune system, radiation to the original tumorbed, and six months of the drug Accutane – the acne drug is used to suppress growth of any remaining Neuroblastoma cells, only she received three times the amount they would give a teenager.

At the beginning of Sadie’s treatment, we were contacted by a Make-A-Wish representative. It is a difficult reality to accept that one’s child qualifies for a Wish, but the Make-A-Wish representative said it would be easier if we thought of Sadie’s Wish as her reward for going through the grueling treatment. This was an easier concept to accept, so we agreed to have Make-A-Wish come out and meet with Sadie.. Make-A-Wish sent two wonderful volunteers to our home to meet separately with Sadie and with us. They spent time interviewing Sadie, asking her likes and dislikes, and after some consideration, Sadie decided a trip to Disney World was what she really wanted because “who wouldn’t want to go to Disney World,” she said.

Because Sadie’s treatment was so intense and left her with no immune system, her Wish trip was postponed until after she completed treatment. Having her wish at the end of treatment did seem like a reward for her and she talked about it throughout her treatment, especially when she was feeling really crummy. We could tell how proud Sadie felt, because she would always say that she was “taking her family to Disney World.” And she was.

After thirteen months, Sadie completed her treatment, only to find out that she had possibly relapsed. A bone marrow biopsy showed that 15% of her bone marrow was “possibly cancerous.” This was a complete shock to us all. Although, the rate of relapse is high in Neuroblastoma, we did not expect it to happen this quickly. And with relapse, the prognosis declines immensely. At her original diagnosis, Sadie was given a 50% chance of survival. With relapse, the chance of survival decreases to almost none.

Immediately, before we discussed our options with the oncologist, we knew that Sadie must take her Wish trip. Psychologically, she needed to receive her reward for a job well done. And hopefully, that would be incentive to continue on with another treatment, if needed. We dropped everything, put the doctors on hold, and said that Sadie’s Wish trip was now the priority in our lives. We contacted Make-A-Wish and within 24 hours, they had Sadie’s Wish trip ready for her.

Two days before we were scheduled to leave on the trip, Make-A-Wish came to our home and brought a party with them: balloons; drinks, cake, and Sadie’s favorite food - Chinese takeout. Although I was in no mood to party, the volunteers encouraged us to invite our friends and family to come and celebrate Sadie’s Wish. It turned out to be just what we all needed. Sadie knew that she, and her accomplishments, were being celebrated, and she just beamed with pride.

From the beginning, Make-A-Wish treated us like royalty. They provided us with everything we would need for a fabulous and fun trip: plane tickets; accommodations; car rental; cash for food and souvenirs. The volunteers brought gifts of travel bags, toiletries, snacks, and travel goodies. They also brought a special gift for Sadie, and for her older sister. We were taken to and from the airport via limousine, and given special status as a Wish Family in the parks, which meant going straight to the front of the line and avoiding the long wait lines for the rides and attractions. And Sadie’s Wish wasn’t just a trip to Disney World (as if that weren’t enough), but they sent us to the other amusement parks in the area, as well.

But the best part of the Wish, was that for one week we were able to be a family again. No talking or thinking about cancer. No being separated by hospital stays. No worrying about shots, or medications, or flushing central lines (we had hers taken out for the trip). All we thought about was having fun and enjoying our time together. After thirteen terrible months of treatment, Make-A-Wish brought JOY back to our family!

After many months of bone marrow biopsies, the doctors have decided that Sadie’s bone marrow is normal and healthy. However, because Neuroblastoma has a 60% chance of relapse, Sadie will continue to undergo scans and biopsies for many years to come. But we remain positive that Sadie will be clean of cancer and will continue to regain her health and strength and return to a normal childhood life.

In November 2009, a routine bone scan showed a "hot spot" had developed on Sadie's skull. A biopsy in December confirmed that the spot was new Neuroblastoma forming in the bone marrow of her skull. In January 2010, Sadie had a port-a-cath installed and began chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Sadie will be on chemotherapy for approximately eight months, in hope that this treatment will knock the cancer back into remission.

We have seen first hand how Make-A-Wish makes a difference in people’s lives, not only through our own experience, but through the other Wish children we’ve met. Some of their Wishes were rewards, and some were last Wishes. But all of them brought joy to these children, and all of these children, along with our Sadie, deserved to receive a Wish. They’ve certainly earned it!
Thank you, always, for supporting this wonderful charity.

Sincerely and with gratitude,
Candace Leber (Sadie's mom)

Sadie wants to see you come out the Walk in your pajamas to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation! Won’t you join her? Photo by Kevingraft.com.

© Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Sacramento & Northeastern California
Contact us at: 916-437-0206 or 888-828-9474 or kbridge@makeawish-sacto.org
2800 Club Center Drive, Sacramento, CA 95835

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