Over $800 Raised and more than 60 cars washed for The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. Thank you for everyone’s support!
Saturday June 18, 2016 marked our first annual Wash for a Wish Charity Car Wash for The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. On behalf of Frank Motors your local Winnipeg Krown dealer, we’d like to thank everyone who participated in the 2016 "Wash For A Wish" charity car wash and helped raise $815! Our volunteers washed over 60 cars while collecting an average donation of $10!
We are proud to be part of this national annual event with Canadian owned Krown Rust Protection where Krown dealers from across Canada participated in Wash for a Wish raising $60,000 with 100% of proceeds going to granting kids wishes!
A huge thank you from the Frank Motors team to everyone who volunteered, made a donation and had got a car wash to grant a wish! We look forward to seeing everyone again next year and helping with this great charity event!
A special thank you to Doug Little of douglaslittlephotography.ca for donating to our Wash for a Wish event as well as generously donating his time to capture the spirit of the event with the photos taken.
The Children’s Wish Foundation is a uniquely Canadian charity that helps Canadian children, families and communities by granting the favourite wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. With every wish that we grant, we create moments of joy that ease the pain of a child, give respite to the child’s family, and connect healthcare professionals and communities in that burning wish of hope.Among our 23 volunteers we were honoured to have Miranda and Carla join our volunteer team. Miranda received a wish in 2011 and Carla is known as a ‘Wish Mom’ because her son Ryan received a wish in 2009. Learn more about Miranda and Ryan’s Wish Stories and the difference a Wish really makes.
Miranda’s Story
“It was March 20th, 2011 that I realized my life had changed dramatically. I was sixteen years old and had just struggled through a volleyball tournament. It was during one of the games I knew something was very wrong. I dived down to make a pass and it took me awhile to get up off of the floor afterwards. My teammates were very concerned as was I. I tried eating supper later that evening and could not keep it down. I went to the emergency room that same night with my mum. I waited for about 4 hours until they finally sent me home following several tests and scans. The next day they diagnosed me with stage 2 ovarian cancer and I had surgery a few days later. I was told the tumour weighed around 12 pounds, and that I now have no ovary on my right side.
As a young teenager, I didn't fully understand the situation that there was more treatment to follow. I thought surgery was as bad as it got and that I was cured. The next day I went back to my oncologist (cancer specialist) and was told I would have to undergo three months of intense chemotherapy. That was by far the hardest part of the whole experience. I was very sick everyday for the three months of treatment.
During the treatment, I was told I was eligible for a wish from The Children's Wish Foundation for when I was feeling better. I knew almost immediately what I wanted to wish for. I am a huge fan of the NHL and my favourite team is the New York Rangers. It was perfect. I had always wanted to go to New York and always wanted to see a hockey game there.
I shared my wish to go to New York and meet the New York Rangers' hockey team, as well as seeing a game. Not long after, the trip was planned. My family and I were heading to New York City for a week! We got to see the Rangers win against the Nashville Predators at Madison Square Gardens!
The next day we were provided a limousine by Children's Wish to go to the Rangers practice facility and got to meet the team following the practice. My favourite player, Henrik Lundqvist, then gave me and my family team jerseys, and tickets to another game the following night!
"We had an amazing time. I couldn't believe what The Children's Wish Foundation was able to do for me. They are an incredible organization that is able to grant wishes to thousands of sick children every year, and make them feel as special and as happy as they made me!
I am now 5 years cancer free and counting, and there is less than a 5% chance of it reoccurring!” - Miranda
Ryan’s Story
Carla also known as a Wish Mom volunteered at our Wash for a Wish event and Ryan her son came out to meet all the volunteers. Here is Ryan’s Story.
“I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, which is a cancer of the blood, on November 5, 2008. Two weeks after winning the Provincial Championships with my football team the North Winnipeg Nomads. I was 11 and 1/2 years old and in Grade 6. In 40 months of treatment I had 27 spinal taps, 2 of them where I was awake, 4 bone marrow tests, 50 plus x-rays, 4 EKG’s, 2 EEG’s, 8 rounds of radiation, 2 ultrasounds, 7 CT scans, 7 Blood Transfusions, 3 Platelet Transfusions, 3 echoes’ on my heart, 2 lung tests, 4 MRI’s, 10 treatments of IVIG, 15 different doctors, 17 different kinds of chemo which means countless chemo treatments, blood tests and check-ups, these were things my parents should not have to keep track of. However, On February 24th, 2012 I had my last handful of chemo pills.
In March of 2009, my brain shut down. This was caused by an allergic reaction to a drug or combination of drugs that were supposed to help me eat, because at the time I didn’t have an appetite. Instead, they coated my brain. When I was admitted into the hospital, the doctors weren’t able to figure out what was wrong. I was so confused, I couldn’t even remember my dad’s name, and I called him Dustin when his name is Albert. They told my parents they didn’t know what was wrong…they told them to start planning my funeral. That day I was put into a semi-coma to wear the drug off my brain.
No child should ever have to be in the hospital. Especially on their birthday. I came out of the coma on my champagne birthday. The nurses that were on the ward brought me a cake and gifts. They made it feel less scary to be in the hospital. During that time, I had 2 EEG’s.
The leukemia blasts were also found in my spinal fluid and around my brain. This caused my Oncologist to send me for radiation. This is very rare for children to go for. The radiation was targeted from my eyebrows to the back of my neck. Although the blasts of radiation were the lowest possible…it was strong enough to do some damage. From the 17 different chemo’s and from the radiation, my pituitary gland was damaged. This caused my body to stop growing and from going into puberty. Because of this, I was put on a growth hormone needle that I gave to myself every night. Thanks to the growth hormone I have grown from 5’2’’ to 6’1”. I am now taller than my mom who is 5’4’’, my brother who is 5’11’’, and my dad who is 5’11’’ and 3 quarters. He always likes to add that in. Now I am the tallest in the family. It feels good when my older brother calls me his big little brother.
My wish was to go and see an NFL football game. At first, I wanted to go to Lambo field and watch the Packers play the Patriots (my favorite team). But one of the nurses at cancer Care told me that a wish is usually about week and that there wouldn’t be anything to do besides the game. I thought it over with my family and decided that I wanted to go somewhere warmer. So, my wish was to go and see the Patriots play the Dolphins in Miami. We stayed at a place called Give Kids the World.
Wow, what a place. We didn’t even have to leave. It had everything. Ice cream from 7 in the morning until 10 at night, 3 big swimming pools, a massive play structure, games and arcade building, it was amazing. We also went to Disney world, Sea world and Universal Studios and Adventure Island. After 6 days of rides, fun, and excitement, we drove from Orlando to Miami to watch the football game.
We got to the stadium early enough to look around at all the tailgating and different events going on. We saw Joe Perry’s bus pull up. We were also given field passes for before the game so we could watch the players warm up. What an experience. When the game was almost over we were taken down to the player’s tunnel to meet all the Miami Dolphins. Even Ricki Williams who doesn’t usually come out that way. I got a football signed and my brother got a jersey signed. One of the players even took me to the doors of the locker room to look inside. It was such an amazing trip. Unforgettable.
I feel very proud and honored to be a young ambassador for the Children’s Wish Foundation. My family and I feel that this is the best way to thank them for what they have done for us. I am now18 years old soon to be 19, and have graduated from St. John’s High School on time. I look forward to hearing my continued good news when I go for my check-up in less than a month
Thank you for supporting The Children’s Wish Foundation so much of what they do for kids like me couldn’t be possible without supporters like you.” - Ryan
Congratulations to the Draw Prize Winners!
Alf and Leith winners each receive a Free Krown Rust Protection Spray.Rowen, Doug and Walter winners each receive a Krown Wash Kit Bucket.
