WISHING WIRE
Volunteer Newsletter| Issue 3 2014
Aiden’s wish puts Make-A-Wish in the
spotlight for World Wish Day
Five-year-old Aiden, diagnosed with neuroblastoma, had a very special wish: to find Nemo. Chosen to
celebrate World Wish Day which marks the very first wish that inspired the creation of Make-A-Wish
,
34 years ago, Aiden’ wish captured the imagination of people and communities around Australia.
s
When Aiden was diagnosed with neuroblastoma
shortly after his third birthday, it came as a huge shock
for the family.
“We just weren’t prepared. Our life stopped at that
moment,” said his mum Nicole. Aiden, too, found
it hard. Confined to hospital and prevented by his
illness from going in the water, which he loves, one
film in particular cheered him up: the tale of a young
clownfish called Nemo. When Aiden chose to ‘find’
Nemo for his wish, neither he nor his family could have
imagined just how big the scale of that wish would be.
World Wish Day was a huge success, with Aiden’s
wish touching the hearts of people here and the world
over. The entire Cairns community came on board
to help make Aiden’s wish come true, with many
locals donating their time, goods and services, and
hundreds of people lining the streets to see Aiden’s
progress. Australian media responded with vigour,
with Channel Ten’s The Project following Aiden right
through Cairns on his quest. The story was also picked
up internationally, with coverage in Canada as well as
a feature in the Huffington Post.
Volunteer Newsletter | Issue 3 2014
Celebrity support helped raise the profile even further,
with Blinky Bill (AKA National Patron Robyn Moore)
delivering a clue at Cairns Tropical Zoo’s koala
enclosure, and Australian actor Eric Bana reprising
his role of Anchor the hammerhead shark to deliver
Aiden’s final clue.
For a family who has gone through so much, the
response to Aiden’s wish has been overwhelming.
“Never in my life have I experienced something like
this. What he’s gone through and to see this, it’s just
fantastic,” said Aiden’s grandfather.
This is a huge testament to the power of a wish,
and what we can all achieve when we work
together to enrich the human experience with
hope, strength and joy. Thank you to everyone
who helped us to celebrate World Wish Day
by sharing in Aiden’s story. Your efforts helped
make Aiden’s wish a beacon for the vital work
we do. ■
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