From wish recipient to Wishmaker

By Tina Comeau

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

Last year Bryden Hutt had his wish granted.

The Yarmouth resident got to travel to Disneyworld in Florida with his family and finally meet, in person, Felix Kruse – the man from Germany who had donated life-saving bone marrow to Bryden when he was a baby.

This year the Grade 1 Meadowfields student hopes to see another wish granted ¬– but this time for another boy or girl.

Bryden is collecting money for the upcoming Children’s Wish Foundation Wishmaker Walk for Wishes, which is taking place on Saturday, Oct. 17. His goal is to collect $5,000 to help grant the wish of a child who is facing a life threatening illness. “It’s going to make another child very happy,” says the six-year-old little boy.

Bryden and his parents, Wendy and Jason Hutt, know just how much a granted wish means. Last November they got to spend a week in Disneyworld with Bryden’s bone marrow donor. Bryden has Ommen’s Syndrome, which, as a baby, left him without a functioning immune system. He had to undergo a bone marrow transplant when he was five months old. “Bryden can’t even watch the video (of the trip) without crying, that’s how much it meant to him,” says his mother.

This won’t be the first time Bryden and his family have participated in the Walk for Wishes. But Bryden told his mother he wanted to beat the total they raised last year. Last year they had collected around $700. “He heard that when you raise $5,000 you can consider it another wish granted,” his mother explains. “He got that in his head and that’s all he thinks about.”

The annual walk – this year’s is the 16th – is the largest fundraiser for the local chapter of the Children’s Wish Foundation. But over the years it’s been attracting less and less participants. That’s why Jean Doucette, the coordinator of the local chapter, says they’re adding a new component to the event. While the walk begins and ends at Boston Pizza – it begins at 1 p.m., with registration taking place at noon – they’ve added a carnival event at Boston Pizza that will follow the walk and will feature a toonie toss, face painting, cookie decorating, craft making and the sale of pizza slices. “So if you don’t feel you can walk, or you don’t feel comfortable getting sponsors, just bring the kids out for the carnival,” she says. Children who come for the walk or carnival are encouraged to come dressed in costume.

The Children’s Wish Foundation grants, on average, around six wishes annually to children in this tip of the province. The wishes can range from Disneyworld trips, to an outdoor swimming pool, to outfitting a child’s room with a computer, game consoles, a digital camera and desk. One child asked to go visit his grandmother out west. Another asked for a PlayStation, a portable phone and a tub of chocolate ice cream.

Doucette says the nice thing about when the wishes are granted, is families can focus on something positive and happy, rather than thinking about all of the medical appointments and hospital visits their lives are consumed with.

Sponsor sheets for the walk are available at Boston Pizza at Starrs Road, or people can contact Jean Doucette at 742-2126. There are also some locations in town selling wish clouds as part of the event – and these can be bought in Bryden’s name to help him with his fundraiser effort. As well, tickets are being sold at Boston Pizza on a basket of Beanie Babies. Again, proceeds will be added to Bryden’s fundraising pot. “We even had two people from New York that only knew Bryden through the news video about his trip. They gave us two return tickets, out of Portland, to anywhere Trans Air flies,” says Doucette. “Starlink came onboard and gave us connecting flights from Yarmouth to Portland. We’re doing a silent auction. People can place bids at Boston Pizza.”

Meanwhile, aside from amassing a sizeable donation, Bryden is also looking to amass a sizeable team to do the walk with him. His mother says her son has about 25 to 30 family and friends on his team.