Making Dreams A Reality

Dreams….Wishes….Hope…… Words that are often taken for granted. Yet, these words can mean the world to many children.

Childhood is full of dreams and wishes and hope. Kids want to meet someone or do something when they grow up. Or dream to one day travel somewhere, They have an unlimited number of dreams for the future.

A cancer diagnosis can bring those plans to a halt. Tens of thousands of kids are diagnosed with cancer every year. While there is hope, and many advancements, their dreams don’t seem as attainable. Many children are able to get their wish through large wish-granting charities. These charities are great and help the child have one wish granted. Studies have shown that giving a person something to look forward to, such as a wish being granted, can be a positive turning point in their battle.

“I worked at the largest wish-granting organization for almost 13 years. When I left there, I knew I wanted to continue working with kids and I love to make kids smile, especially when times are rough,” says Tanya Sturm, founder of Dreams and Wishes of Tennessee. www.DreamsandWishesofTN.org

The charity was inspired by Savannah Swandal from Mt Juliet and Devin Harris from Utah. Sturm says that she had granted a wish for both of them and they captured her heart. They had both gone into remission, relapsed, gone into remission again, relapsed. She said that it was just a “vicious cycle for some of the kiddos.”

Dreams and Wishes of Tennessee formed on April 13, 2013, and is working on granting Wish #102 right now.

“Before Dreams and Wishes of TN, once a child had their wish granted, there were no organizations that would do anything special for them if their cancer returned. Often it’s the simple things that can make a sick child so happy. I decided that I wanted to start an organization to do just that, give kids hope if their cancer has returned. Give them something to focus on other than being sick and going through treatments.” added Sturm.

Dreams and Wishes of TN is comprised of one full-time employee and several volunteers. Seventy-six cents per every dollar received goes directly to the mission. Being a small organization means that the volunteers get to know the children and their families on a personal level, no one is a number.

“I feel like I can genuinely say that I’ve become friends with every family we have granted a wish for and I love being able to say that. Noah is a recent wish. His cancer has spread to his brain, lungs, and lymph nodes and he is now on hospice care. His wish was to go to Las Vegas to see the Marvel Station, he is a huge Iron Man fan and loves Marvel superheroes.
Luckily it all worked out. He went on his wish last week, and was there four days. Two days, he felt great and enjoyed his trip, the last two days, he was sick. I’ve spoken to Noah and his mom several times since they have returned and they are so grateful for the opportunity that we were able to provide for them. Stacy, his mom, said that it was a trip of a lifetime. Noah was treated like royalty from the time he boarded the airplane.
His mom told me that at least once a day he would tell her “I love her so much and I can’t believe she did this for me”. That makes my heart melt knowing that we have made him that happy,” Sturm said.

Dreams and Wishes grants wishes to kids who have relapsed from cancer and young adults between 18 and 21 who have a new cancer diagnosis.
Fundraising efforts include an annual Golf Tournament, Pre-COVID, they did an annual Trooping for Wishes with the 501st (Star Wars) in Clarksville, TN, and an annual Breakfast with Santa.
Their 5th Annual Golfing for Dreams and Wishes Tournament was October 12th. This year. It was held at the Old Hickory Country Club. Despite COVID, this year was the biggest tournament yet.

Sturm has been a part of granting over 1300 wishes in the past 20 years. She says that it is the best feeling ever. “People often say “I could never do what you do, it’s so sad”. I always tell them this,’ there definitely are sad moments…but seeing the smile on a child’s face when you make their one last wish come true makes it all worth it!”