Winter Garden Magazine September 2018 | Page 10

A teen's wish to help save lives T his past July marks one year for Jack. Just one year ago, the 15-year-old was unable to go outside - he was bound to his home because of his blood disorder. He missed time with friends, school and sports. A bone marrow donation was his only hope, but matches sometimes aren’t easy to find, particularly for those of Asian heritage. So, Jack waited patiently - nine months to be exact - until thankfully a match was found. with Jack to identify his wish, he wanted to help others like him. He used his wish to be a bone marrow donation spokesperson and record a PSA encouraging others to sign up for Be The Match. As the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, Make-A-Wish grants life-changing wishes for children battling critical illnesses. BPT When Jack made his wish, little did he know the turnout of support he’d receive. Thanks to a charitable donation by Bristol-Myers Squibb to Make-A-Wish, the organization was able to make Jack’s wish become a reality. For the second consecutive year, Bristol-Myers Squibb made a seven-figure charitable funding contribution to Make-A-Wish. The company’s generosity has helped Make-A-Wish provide transformational wishes for children with critical illnesses, like Jack, across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Guam. “I’m alive today because someone like you decided to save the life of someone they didn’t even know,” Now Jack wants to help others who said Jack. “I want to help people who are waiting - to pay it forward. When weren’t as lucky as I was.” volunteers from Make-A-Wish® met Make-A-Wish teamed up with Dana 10  | WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018