Wishing Well Wishing Well Winter Edition 2014 | Page 4

YOU GAVE TIM A TRULY LIFE-CHANGING WISH YOUR SUPPORT BRINGS LASTING JOY TO BLAKE – AND HIS WHOLE FAMILY A wish can be a very powerful thing. For Tim, a wish has had a lasting impact, and it’s all thanks to you. Blake, who is seven and has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, adores his brothers. Fellow triplets Shannon and Cody and big brother Jayden are his best friends. So when tough leukaemia treatment took him away from them and into a lonely hospital ward, Blake was devastated. Tim was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma in 2009 when he was 14. Treatment was a long, tough journey. But throughout it all, there was a glimmer of hope: in the midst of his treatment, Tim had his cherished wish granted. Tim had always been into music. According to his dad, Mark, he was a natural from the first time he picked up a saxophone. So it was no surprise when Tim wished for a sax of his own. The surprise was the impact it would have on his life. Tim’s wish helped him to flourish as a musician, giving him focus and motivation. He went on to become music captain of his school in 2013, and was a major part of the school’s senior concert band and jazz band. Now 18, this year, Tim started studying at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at Melbourne University. “The sax is part of who he is and will be with him for the rest of his life. It will also hopefully give great pleasure to many more people in the coming years. It has certainly been a highlight of our lives for the last four years. He has gained so much pleasure and learned so much from his music.” Alone, Blake faced painful treatments and scary medical procedures. There was just one thing in the absence of his brothers that kept Blake strong, and that was his friend, Eric, a soft toy penguin. The triplets have had a fascination with Penguins for years. According to Blake’s dad, Mark, Eric and Blake went through chemotherapy together. So it was no surprise when Blake wished to meet some real penguins in the wild – with his brothers by his side, of course. Thanks to you, Blake’s wish came true exactly two years to the day after his diagnosis. For his parents, Mark and Alana, seeing Blake get his wish was “magnificent”. Just as amazing was getting to spend a whole week together as a family, with Blake well enough to enjoy every minute. “The gift goes on, for us and also hopefully for anyone who hears Tim play.” “Just seeing the look of pure excitement on Blake’s face was fantastic. It was an amazing time for him, doing something so special together with his brothers,” Alana said. For children like Tim, your support has a lasting impact, granting wishes that can continue to give for a lifetime. Thank you for continuing to share in the life-changing power of a wish. Thank you for helping to make wishes like Blake’s come true. Your generous support meant he and his family got to spend this precious, much-needed time together as a family – time that they’ll never forget. Make-A-Wish® Australia 383 Swan Street Richmond VIC 3121 PO Box 5006 Burnley VIC 3121 ABN 97 006 497 632 T: 1800 032 260 F: [phone] [email protected] makeawish.org.au facebook.com/makeawishaust twitter.com/makeawishaust youtube.com/makeawishaust