Some of you would know junior cravings got meningitis when she was four months old. Those 10 days we spent in the hospital was an eye-opener. I feared the worse for our baby and felt so sad to be surrounded by so many sick children. I witnessed charities like Starlight Foundation and Make-a-Wish brighten the spirits of both sick children and their parents. A moment of happiness meant the world to us and the sick children surrounding us.
So I didn't have to think twice when Make-A-Wish asked for my support in letting you know about Australia's largest community fundraising campaign - Bake A Wish - where making wishes come true is a piece of cake!
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children and teens living with life-threatening illnesses. In this blog post, Make-A-Wish shares 11-year-old Abbey's story.
Abbey (featured above) loves cooking, decorating cakes and making a fabulous mess in the kitchen. But life wasn't always so joyous for Abbey, at ten weeks old she was not putting on weight, jaundiced and in desperate need of a liver transplant.
Abbey's first surgery
At 14 months old Abbey got her transplant. This was great news but it meant long hospital stays, isolation and a lot of restrictions as an inquisitive toddler.
Still, things were starting to look great.
Then at age 10 Abbey got a terrible bug and her liver couldn't cope. Soon Abbey was back on the transplant list with an agonising wait for a match.
Abbey's second transplant
Abbey's Mum Shirley recalls it was the Friday before Mother's Day - 14 months after Abbey went on the waiting list - that they got the call that they had a donor match.
Thankfully the surgery went well and as Abbey headed toward the one year anniversary since she got her new liver, the outlook is good.
After all, that Abbey has been through Abbey's family got in touch with Make-A-Wish and her wish journey began.
Abbey's love of food
Abbey carefully considered what her wish might be and decided that she wanted to host a high tea for her best friends!
Abbey loves everything about food - from baking to decorating and of course eating too! As part of her wish Abbey wanted to learn how to make all the best parts of a high tea so she can keep those skills for life.
It was clear from the start that her closest friends would be involved with her wish. Abbey said that when she got sick for the second time she had to miss a lot of school and this made some friendships hard.
But her closest friends stuck by her and would even Skype her when she was too sick to come to school. Abbey's friends really helped to get her through her illness and she couldn't wait to catch up on lost time together at her very own high tea.
A galaxy where anything is possible
Abbey has since been busy planning her high tea and knows just how she wants everything to look. She has chosen a galaxy theme because she believes that 'when you look up at the stars you can believe that anything is possible'.
Every dollar counts, no matter how small
Every dollar raised through Bake A Wish has the power to calm, distract and empower sick children at the time they need it most. The goal is to grant a wish for every eligible child in Australia but Make-A-Wish can't do it without your support.
It's with your support that Make-A-Wish will be able to make wishes like Abbey's come true. Sign up to Bake A Wish at home, school or in your workplace. It's so easy to get involved whether you hold a morning tea, dinner party, bake sale or something in-between! For more information and to follow Abbey on her wish journey, head to www.bakeawish.org.au
