235 Pine Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104-4313
415 982-9474
415 982-0444 fax
www.makewish.org
Contact: Elaine Kauffman
(415)982-9474 //
Hayward Girl’s Wish to Go to Hawaii
13 February 2008 -- San Francisco: Natalie Reyes of Hayward is only 15 years old, but this young woman has recently undergone a heart transplant. Even though she has been through so much, she has managed to keep a positive attitude. Described by her wish grantors as sweet, intelligent and friendly, Natalie’s first choices for a wish were health for her family and assistance going to medical school, so she could become a doctor like those who helped her. Realizing that these wishes were not within the guidelines of the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation® Natalie decided that she wanted to visit the Big Island of Hawaii. She chose this wish because she and her family had visited Hawaii when she was healthy, and they all had a great time. Her wish is for her family to go there and relax, since they all have been through so much these past several months.
Natalie and her family will fly to Hawaii on Monday, February 18 and return on Sunday, February 23. While there they will have the opportunity to snorkel, participate in an authentic Hawaiian luau and have a helicopter tour of the island, from which Natalie will get a close-up view of the big island’s volcanoes, something she is especially looking forward to.
Some of Natalie’s favorite things:
· Color: Green
· Book: Harry Potter
· Game: Monopoly
· Class: Biology
· Candy: Skittles
· Singer: Kelly Clarkson
· Movie: Harry Potter
· TV Show: Food Network
About the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation®:
The Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. In 2008 the Foundation celebrates 24 years of fulfilling magical wishes. One of the largest chapters nationwide, it has granted over 4,500 wishes in its 17 Northern California counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Marin, Monterey, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Siskiyou, Solano and Sonoma. The goal of the Foundation is to grant a wish to every eligible child in its 17-county territory. Anyone can refer a child for a wish. In 2005, the Chapter was recognized with a coveted “Best in America Seal of Excellence” award, the first Make-A-Wish Chapter to achieve this distinction for its outstanding management and governance practices. Of the 1,000,000 charities operating in the United States today, it is estimated that fewer than 50,000, or 5 percent, meet or exceed these standards, and, of those, fewer than 2,000 have been awarded this Seal. For more information or to refer a child for a wish, please call (800) 464-9474 or visit www.makewish.org.
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