My Wish Foundation, a boon for children

The wish of 12-year-old Maneesha who was stricken with a terminal form of cancer was to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa, It was the wish she said she wanted fulfilled when volunteers from the My Wish Foundation visited her at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital earlier this year. Her wish was granted and she was given the opportunity to meet the President at Temple Trees in February this year. Maneesha died a few weeks later.

Maneesha is among a large number of terminally ill children whose wishes are being granted by the My Wish foundation which is attempting to bring a little happiness into the lives of these kids.

Most of their wishes are innocent and easy to fulfill such as a visit to the zoo, to eat pizza and have a new pair of slippers.

The My Wish Foundation was set up in 2009 by Nelum Arachchige who is its founder and serves as its President. The patrons of the Foundation are First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and Indrani Weeratunga while leaders form every religion gives advice to the Foundation. Between then and now, wishes have been granted to hundreds of children which has put a smile on their faces.

"The children's wishes are so innocent but there is true happiness when we grant them what they wish for.

It might be the only time they have a smile on their faces after being diagnosed with having a terminal illness," Nelum said.

Nelum who lives in Scotland was inspired to help needy children after seeing the facilities that are available for terminally ill kids in that country. "There is a process where the children are taken in for treatment and given time to adjust to a hospital environment so that they undergo the treatment in as such comfort as possible.

I also saw that there were groups such as Make -a -Wish organization that grants wishes to such children worldwide to make them happy during the short time they have to live," she said.

Eight year old Tharuni who was diagnosed with an incurable brain cancer in August 2009 was the first child that My Wish Foundation granted a wish to. She wanted to visit the zoo which she did with her mother with the assistance of the Foundation. She passed away 28 days later.

"The difficult thing for those of us who volunteer in the work is seeing these beautiful children's lives being cut short due to illness. We cannot give them life but we can make them happy during the time they are alive," Nelum said.The My Wish Foundation has had the support from unexpected quarters and among them is buy a group of student Buddhist monks form the Dharmapala Piriven, Bellana who sold the "ata pirikara" they had received to raise Rs.32,000 for the Foundation.

When we started work with My Wish, one thing all of us who volunteer understood was that the toll on the family of a child suffering from a terminal illness is huge. The conditions mean prolonged stay in hospital and most mothers have to stay day and night at the child's side.

This means the homes get neglected, if there are other children they need to be taken care of and if the mothers are employed, it also means giving up work," she added.

My Wish not only grants wishes to the children but also provide emotional, physical and financial support to parents while also working to build consciousness in society about their plight.

The Foundation also adopts a multi-religious, multi-ethnic approach as illness are no discriminatory and affect all, Nelum said.

When My Wish Foundation members met President Rajapaksa with Maneesha, he promised as donate a block of land where My Wish will set up a Cancer Support System."

We have identified a land close to National Cancer Hospital in Maharagama and once we get it, the Centre will be set up where both the children as well as their parents can come for counselling and for relaxing.

Many mothers came from far way places and have no place to sleep in.

The Centre will also prove them with facilities to reside in while their children are undergoing treatment," she added.More details on My Wish Foundation can be obtained from their website mywishcharity.org or on their face book page at facebook.my/wish/foundation.