For over 30 years the Guelph Wish Fund for Children has been making the lives of children in Guelph and Wellington County a little bit better and a little bit easier.
For children like Fergus’ Ava Williamson, the foundation is life changing. Ava, 6, was born with Antley–Bixler syndrome.
“She’s one of a few kids in the world with her diagnosis,” said her dad Jay Williamson. “And with a very unknown prognosis. She had two fractured arms and a fractured leg when she was first born.”
Ava also had her skull removed and reconstructed when she was eight months old and she has had a permanent tracheostomy since she was four months old to help with breathing.
“She doesn’t have elbows,” Jay said. “She’s missing the bridge of her nose, and at times when she was young doctors thought she would never heal.”
However, after four and a half months in the hospital Ava came home.
Enter Guelph Wish Fund for Children, which provides “wishes” for children from the moment they are born to when they turn 19.
“There are three kinds of children who we support and they’re the kinds of children that sometimes fall between the cracks (of funding support),” said Guelph Wish Fund for Children executive director Sharon Rice.
They are children who have had a very severe injury, are battling a life-threatening disease, most often cancer or are suffering from a rare and debilitating condition.
Ava met the criteria and her family used her wishes to buy equipment to help her breathe at night and for feeding tubes and pumps she used in the first four years of her life. Jay said they also used the money for trach supplies, gauzes and any other equipment they needed.
While there is some government assistance for some of the supplies and equipment, Jay said it wouldn’t have been enough.
“[Guelph Wish Fund] really, really helped us,” Jay said.
“And then when Ava got older and was able to leave the home a little bit, we just purchased a couple bikes and trailer for her so we could take her on little excursions … But expenses are high when you have kids with specific fundamental challenges.”
Rice said other “wish children” have received a trip to Disney World or a meeting with a favourite TV star or Sports hero. They’ve also had families renovate washrooms to make them accessible or install accessible playground equipment in their backyard.
Currently the Guelph Wish Fund for Children is supporting 27 children.
“We target ‘x’ number of dollars for every child that comes in … it’s a good amount,” Rice said. “It’s up to the family to make use of those funds in whatever way they feel will either ease the burden of the child, give them something to get excited about or ease the burden of the family.”
Sometimes that means one big wish and sometimes it means a few smaller ones.
The Guelph Wish Fund for Children holds two major annual fundraisers – a gala and a golf tournament – and much of its funding comes from private donations.
“We have a fairly solid bank account right now,” Rice said. “We were just given a very healthy legacy from an elderly gentleman who passed away so my job is to spend that money and get more children.”
She is asking anyone who knows a child in Wellington County who could benefit from the Guelph Wish Fund for Children to talk to the family and suggest they contact Rice at 519-820-9474 or info@guelphwishfund.com or visit guelphwishfund.com.
