A Wish Come True For A Little Princess
PHOTO: Four-year-old Madelyn is told by Princess Elsa that her Make-A-Wish dream has come true and she will soon be spending a week at a Princess Lake House on Lake Winnisquam. Courtesy Photo
by Rob Levey
Weirs Times Correspondent
Wishing for the impossible is viewed as dreaming, which does not explain the reality of 4-year-old Maddie, whose wish to stay in a princess lake house on Lake Winnisquam is about to come true. Diagnosed with interstitial lung disease after suffering from chronic respiratory infections since 18-months-old, Maddie made her wish to Make-A-Wish New Hampshire, which found a way to make it come true.
“It was overwhelming to see at the reveal of her wish how many people donated their time to get everything ready and to see all the people who have volunteered their time,” said mother Amanda Patterson. “It is amazing how much time and effort have gone into this wish.”
In total, Maddie and her family will stay for one week on Lake Winnisquam in Laconia toward the end of July. Donated by a local family, the house will feature princess themes and be decorated with princess dresses and photos of princesses, so Maddie and sister Kayleigh think it is a lake house owned by princesses.
“During the stay, there will be princesses visiting the family to have a special tea party and princess day,” said Nikki Lyons Lahey, director of community outreach, Make-A-Wish New Hampshire.
For wish granter Libby Giordano, part-time director of seacoast development at Make-A-Wish New Hampshire, granting wishes is personal.
“Having been a wish mom myself, I’ve seen the impact that a wish can have on a child,” she said. “When a child’s wish is granted, that child replaces fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope. I feel so lucky to be able to grant wishes.”
Patterson feels just as lucky to experience her daughter’s wish come true.
“Maddie is so excited,” she said. “She talks about it nonstop. She asks me every day how many days until the party. She is very excited.”
At the party, which kicks off their week in the “princess lake house,” Patterson said the same princesses who revealed the wish in New Castle — the family lives in Greenland — will visit them again.
“At the reveal party, there was a make-up artist there who did make-up for Maddie and her sister,” she explained. “They got them dressed and ready, and eight princesses showed up to give Maddie a scroll that granted her wish.”
For Patterson, perhaps the most special part of the wish process is that the entire family has been included in it.
“They make everyone in the family feel like they are part of it,” she said. “They did so much for my older daughter, too, and made her a huge part of the wish. She feels special, too…All the time and effort that goes into this is amazing, and everyone is so caring.”
According to Giordano, who granted the wish along with Alyssa Bailey (Greenland, NH), granting a wish is “a wonderful collaboration between volunteer wish granters and [their] staff.”
“Our volunteers usually make several visits to the child prior to the wish being granted and then work with the staff to make it the most magical wish it can be,” she said. “We cannot wait to grant these wishes and see the joy that they bring to the child and their family.”
For staff at Make-A-Wish New Hampshire, a wish is viewed as a very powerful tool.
“We seek to bring every eligible child’s wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey,” said Lyons Lahey. “Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness.”
For Maddie, this fight is turning in her favor.
“Last week at an appointment at Boston Children’s Hospital, doctors were amazed at how she is doing,” said Patterson.
Although Maddie will live with her condition her whole life, her mother expressed hope.
“The next step is to follow her symptoms, but they may skip her infusions for a bit to see how she does,” said Patterson, who noted the pandemic may have been a good development for Maddie.
“We pulled her out of school in March of last year, and it gave her time to heal,” she noted. “The infusions she received boosted her immune system…The report is good.”
The wish has made a difference, too.
“Maddie is so excited and cannot wait,” added Patterson.
Since 1986, Make-A-Wish New Hampshire has granted wishes to children all across the state of New Hampshire from all walks of life, allowing each child to dream and create their own inner strength.
To support or learn more about Make-A-Wish NH, visit wish.org/nh or attend their upcoming event, Rafting for Wishes, in Meredith Bay at Hesky Park July 23-24th.