KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A teenage girl had one wish, and it was to give her wish away to someone less fortunate.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation made it happen.
January 2nd was the day Sylvia Yoerke’s wish came true.
Her lifelong illness led her to the Make-A-Wish foundation. For two years, Sylvia waited patiently for her first wish – to meet someone she admired – to be granted. When it couldn’t happen, her new wish was to give her wish to another girl in foster care.
“It was phenomenal. I saw Sylvia get even more excited about this second wish than she had during the period she was waiting for her first wish,” mom Allegra said. Sylvia was too shy to speak on camera and asked her mom to step in for the interview.
Allegra, along with Make-A-Wish, helped with the planning process. They mapped out a scavenger hunt around Lee’s Summit for the 15-year-old girl.
“We were all in the pizza place where the reveal was happening and we watched her walk by. She walked by, we all saw her and we all said oh there she goes, she doesn’t know, she doesn’t see us,” said Meg Dubree, the foundations wish granter.
She was in charge of Sylvia’s wish, but handed the reigns over when Sylvia gave her wish away.
Dreams do come true because the girl who received the wish is heading to Disney World with her new family.
“She’s getting adopted, so this came in a perfect time because it’s great for her and her family to connect,” said Nathan Ross with Midwest Foster Care & Adoption Association.
This selfless act created so much joy for everyone involved. To top it off, Make-A-Wish gave both mom and daughter matching necklaces. It’s a small token to celebrate kindness.
“I’ve learned several things about my daughter when she gave her wish away. One was her patience and perseverance in waiting for that first wish. Second was her grace in letting that wish go when it couldn’t happen. Third was that feeling of gratitude that she felt she had everything she needed and could give the wish away. The fourth quality is that generosity that made you decide you could do it. That’s how it makes me feel, kind of choked up and proud,” Allegra said as she looked at Sylvia and wiped away tears.
