Dillon's Wish Story
Friday was a day of "firsts" for 10-year-old Dillon Long of Simi Valley. He took a ride in a limousine. He boarded a plane for a flight to Houston. And he headed off to see his favorite wrestlers compete at the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania, a star-studded event held last weekend at Reliant Stadium. "I can't even explain it in words," he said, after he learned he was going. "It's like I have to make up a new word for it." Dillon, a huge wrestling fan, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in September. He must undergo chemotherapy treatments every month for the next three years. His dream came true thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Tri-Counties, which sent him, his great-grandmother, Rosemarie Cappozzola, 63, with whom he lives, and his stepfather, David Sanders, on an all-expenses VIP trip to see WrestleMania. "He deserves it, you know. He's put up a hard fight," Cappozzola said at a celebratory dinner last week at Panera Bread in Simi Valley. Dillon, who lost his hair as a result of treatments, has had three blood transfusions. The worst part, he said, is that he's too tired these days to skateboard. "It sucks," Dillon said. "Before I had it, I was very outgoing. Now my feet don't want to move."
Doing good deeds in tough times is something charitable organizations are familiar with, but in this economic downturn, even tried and tested nonprofits are feeling some strain. For the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Tri-Counties, which serves Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, the challenges are magnified by the narrow focus of its mission: to grant the requests of children with a life-threatening condition. Some nonprofits make hard choices to cut back on services or limit access to programs when money is tight. But Shanna Wasson Taylor, who runs the Make-A-Wish chapter, says she cannot do that. "Our commitment has been that we grant every wish, so it's a business model that is challenged in difficult times," she said. "How do you plan for the future if this recession continues?"
The Make-A-Wish Foundation was established in 1980 to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. The simple philosophy was that every child who has had part of their childhood robbed because of serious illness deserved a wish. The foundation operates 65 chapters nationwide. The Tri-Counties chapter has to date granted more than 900 wishes. Taylor is the only full-time fundraiser for the local chapter, which is based in Ventura and has a staff of five, plus more than 100 volunteers. Cherie and Leo Maciel have been volunteering as "Wish Granters" in Ventura County for five years and are currently helping eight sick children in Simi Valley get their wishes granted, including Dillon. "We get to go out and meet the families and the kids and try and determine the kid's most heartfelt wish," said Cherie Maciel, 69. Last Monday, she and her husband, Leo, 70, a landscape contractor, met with Dillon and his family to outline the Houston trip to WrestleMania, hand over spending money and present Dillon with gifts to take on the trip. "It's so heartwarming and wonderful to see how happy we make them and it makes us grateful for how lucky we are," Maciel said.
