Make a Wish....but what

I had a lot of thought as to what forum to put this in. D&D was one, but most debates are for negativity, Free for all topics are flooded so hardly seen. Parents fo kids....but I kind of think the moms in this forum may just understand a bit more.

My son was diagnosed with cancer when he was 4 months old. He was on chemo for 42 weeks and had surgery to remove 2.5 ribs, muscle, nerve and tissues in the original tumor site. He has been off treatment and cancer free for 20 months  
Those effected by cancer know what it does, and that when treatment is over, it really doesnt mean anything is 'over'.
My son goes for scans every 4 months. He will continue to be scanned and apart of follow up clinic for the rest of his life. Long term side effects including secondary cancers due to the chemo he recieved are a large threat, as well as his spine growth due to the ribs removed.

k....so, he just turned 3 making him eligible for is 'Make A Wish'   They say we have up to 5 years to make it, which is great. I want him to enjoy his wish and to know WHY he is getting this wish.

Now heres where you mamas come in. What is going to be big enough, good enough - great enough....to replace all those days in the hospital, all those pokes, surgeries, ouchies, missing out on so many things as an infant....now causing him to be speach delayed and other developemental delays.

Even if we wait 5 years, he will be 8, I dont know if he'll be able to realize fully what this wish is for, and that nothing is too big.

Anyone got suggestions?? What do you think your older kids would love to do after all the challenges, doctors, feeling different?

I'm crying. I don't know momma. I'll definitely think on this and see if there's anything I could think of.

My four year old cousin has been fighting leukemia for the past year. I wouldn't be strong enough to go through something like that. I hate to turn this on me, but I just don't know what I would do if I were in your shoes.

I hope your son leads a wonderful, happy life after everything you guys have been through.

My sister went to Disney for her Make-A-Wish. We stayed at Give Kids The World resort, and it was amazing. They do a Christmas for the guests there, and their mascot and his wife come tuck the kids in. My sister was about 4-5. We got tickets to a lot of the parks, and they gave us "Disney Dollars" to spend. We got pictures with all the Princesses and they gave her their signatures.

She was able to pick a star and put it "in the sky" at the resort. There was limo service to and from the airport, and at the end of the trip, the foundation gave my mom a GIANT scrapbook for her, as well as a free CD of all the pictures they took at Disney.  

Quoting [HavoK + 1.5]™:" My sister went to Disney for her Make-A-Wish. We stayed at Give Kids The World resort, and it was amazing. ... [snip!] ... trip, the foundation gave my mom a GIANT scrapbook for her, as well as a free CD of all the pictures they took at Disney.  "

My son does not do well in crowds. When he was diagnosed they told us about give kids the world...maybe when hes older he'll adapt, but I dont think Disney is for us...at least not yet.

Sounds like it ws an awesome time! Im sure your sister LOVED it  

Quoting Chroma Hex [+1]:" I'm crying. I don't know momma. I'll definitely think on this and see if there's anything I could think ... [snip!] ... I would do if I were in your shoes. I hope your son leads a wonderful, happy life after everything you guys have been through."

I hope so too..thats what I pray everynight, I just want him to have the best life ever.

You never know how strong you are until you're forced to find your strength, but thank you.

I remember when he got diagnosed I told everyone if I had to...I would remortgage my house to be able to take us to Fiji, just to be around nothing surrounded by the most gorgeous views ever.
but....thats a bit much to ask Make a Wish lol....maybe Ill get us there one day

I can't really think of anything, because I don't know his likes and dislikes. But I just wanted to tell you that I'm SO happy that he is cancer free. I hope that his lives a long, healthy and happy life! Your family is in my thoughts!

My extremely good friend's son just got a wish a few months back . He's 7 almost 8 and I think it was a perfect age.

He went to a Mariners game and hung out with the team, got his room completely redone and I think a huge dinner.

Quoting Shannonsfirst:" My son does not do well in crowds. When he was diagnosed they told us about give kids the world...maybe ... [snip!] ... but I dont think Disney is for us...at least not yet. Sounds like it ws an awesome time! Im sure your sister LOVED it  "

does he have a special interest? My kid is 4 and she has not moved off of the same interest. I mean she has been interested in birds of all types since she was one. Mine hates crowds and can't stand noises, but will go to a zoo just for the animals and birds that are there. I know cancer is different than a mental disability, but I do know that to try to limit the stress of the testing she goes through we try and take her once a month to the zoo. Maybe this will help give an idea.

That's so wonderful that your son has been cancer free for 20 months! I hope that he continues to be cancer free and that he leads a long amazing life.

This is going to be hard to pick something though. It must have been so hard for you as his mother to watch him go through all those treatments and I'm sure you want something so big and amazing that it will be hard to choose. I agree with you that waiting a few years until he's around 7 or 8 would be the best thing because then he could really help with the decision and he will have acquired more likes and have more of an idea of what he wants.

The Disney trip someone mentioned sounds awesome. Every child should go to Disney at least once, and it's really expensive to go there so that would be a good wish.
Do they have a book of suggestions or anything available?

Quoting PokkaDotts:" I can't really think of anything, because I don't know his likes and dislikes. But I just wanted to tell ... [snip!] ... that I'm SO happy that he is cancer free. I hope that his lives a long, healthy and happy life! Your family is in my thoughts!"

thank you mama!! thats my wish  

thats the problem Im having, besides hot wheels...he doenst have much likes or dislikes lol.
Its a good thing we get to wait 5 years...give us more time to get to know him and come up with something as a family!

Quoting Brink:" My extremely good friend's son just got a wish a few months back . He's 7 almost 8 and I think it was ... [snip!] ... age. He went to a Mariners game and hung out with the team, got his room completely redone and I think a huge dinner. "

thats wild!!!! I heard make a wish doesnt just do a wish....they go ALL out   thats awesome, he must love that room ")

Quoting Shannonsfirst:" thank you mama!! thats my wish   thats the problem Im having, besides hot wheels...he doenst have ... [snip!] ... lol. Its a good thing we get to wait 5 years...give us more time to get to know him and come up with something as a family!"

Haha my son LOVES hotwheels also. Would taking him to the hotwheels plant be an option??

Quoting April L Chapman:" does he have a special interest? My kid is 4 and she has not moved off of the same interest. I mean she ... [snip!] ... the stress of the testing she goes through we try and take her once a month to the zoo. Maybe this will help give an idea."

Hes been a few times, and refueses to get out of his sroller...I did get a luagh out of him once at the baboons lol.

Hes a very 'inward' child. He prefers mom and dad, and plays alone alot.He just started day care 2 weeks ago....hoping this will help break him out of his shell. He still deals with a lot of trust issues that we've been working on for the last year by taking him to mommy and me places, childrens museums etc. We are starting to be more communitive with testings now, so its helping him not lose all his trust, where as last year as soon as we got him easing up on trust = he would be back at the hospital and it would all start again.


so hard.....I just want the perfect 'Maximus Wish'

Quoting Serial Mom ✄:" That's so wonderful that your son has been cancer free for 20 months! I hope that he continues to be ... [snip!] ... and it's really expensive to go there so that would be a good wish. Do they have a book of suggestions or anything available?"

thanks mama!!
They have ideas, and other kis wishes on their website.

you know what....I wish I could just take it all away. all the scans, all the blood pokes, all the trust issues, all the tears......But theres nothing that will do that  

It will be funny to ask him every year until hes 8 to see all the different wacky ideas lol.

Quoting Shannonsfirst:" I hope so too..thats what I pray everynight, I just want him to have the best life ever. You never ... [snip!] ... surrounded by the most gorgeous views ever. but....thats a bit much to ask Make a Wish lol....maybe Ill get us there one day"

Yeah, if he doesn't do well in crowds, Disney may not be for him. ^_^;; My sister loved it too. Does he have certain things he likes? Like celebrities and such?