Chris Greicius and the Founding of Make-A-Wish
Like most great endeavors in life, it started with two seemingly simple concepts: a wish—and a desire to make a difference for someone else. Christopher James Greicius was only five years old when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 leukemia. Despite the challenges caused by the illness, Chris maintained his trademark positivity and devoted his time to pursuing his number one wish: to become a police officer. As a friend of the Greicius family, Tommy Austin knew well the details of Chris’ journey; as a federal agent with the US Customs Service, Chris’ wish was especially meaningful to Tommy. With his counterparts in local and state agencies around Phoenix, where Chris lived, Tommy created a plan to grant Chris’ wish.
On April 29, 1980, having been told that Chris was near the end of his journey, Tommy and his colleagues brought his wish to life, as he became the first—and only—honorary Trooper in the history of the Arizona State Police. Wearing his official ASP uniform, Trooper Greicius rode in a police helicopter, patrolled his neighborhood, and even drove a police motorcycle. Shortly after, Chris passed away. He was seven years old. The impact of Chris’ wish was felt throughout his community. For Tommy, and the other officers who granted it, the experience sparked a sobering thought: although Chris was a unique child, the battle he had faced was not. Realizing that more wishes needed to be granted, Tommy, Linda Pauling (Chris’ mother), and several others created what is now the Make-A-Wish Foundation, turning one wish into an international movement that has transformed millions of lives.
Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana is one of 58 chapters throughout the United States and its territories. Since our inception in 1984, we have granted more than 10,600 wishes to local children, and, during fiscal year 2022, we granted 572 wishes—a record for the organization. We serve all 64 parishes in Louisiana and 47 counties in Texas.
Q&A with Shelly Millwee
Interim President and CEO, Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana
1 | What motivates you to continue the mission for Make-A-Wish Foundation specifically?
Each day, we know that wish kids and their families are counting on us to bring their wish to life in a magical way. Make-A-Wish provides a bright light in the lives of these kids during a critical time when hope, strength, and joy are needed most. Seeing the smiles and joy that we bring to them through their wishes is what we are here to do.
2 | Can you share an experience where you found joy in helping grant the wish of a child or family going through a difficult time?
One wish that is forever etched in my memory is Juan’s wish for a baby grand piano. Juan lives in the New Orleans area, and he shared that classical music was a major element of his treatment. When he was in the hospital, he would hear the music for hours at a time, and he grew to love the complexity and uplifting melodies. His wish was born out of a difficult time, but it became a symbol of his courage in his battle. We worked with a local music company in Metairie, Louisiana, to grant Juan’s wish. Being there with his family and his music teacher when we presented it to him was magical. Make-A-Wish provided him with not just an incredible instrument, but a vehicle for hope and joy.
3 | Tell us about a time when you had to coordinate and collaborate to grant the wish of a child that was out of the ordinary.
One of my favorite aspects of Make-A-Wish is that there are no “ordinary” wishes. The creativity and imagination of our wish kids is beautiful and limitless. Make-A-Wish does not offer a “menu” of wishes; kids can (and do!) wish for anything! The magic of Make-A-Wish is that we get to the heart of every wish and grant it in a way that is truly life-changing for the child. In Shreveport, 19-year-old Max had played golf with his father and brothers his entire life, but his cancer battle made him take a break from the game. As soon as he was able, he wanted to resume playing with his family, so he wished for a new set of clubs and accessories. We granted his wish and arranged for him to play his first round with his new clubs with professional player Philip Barbaree (an LSU alum). Our wish kids are very “future forward,” and many of them make wishes with long-term goals in mind. Recently, we granted a wish for tuition assistance to Louisiana Tech for a wish kid from the New Orleans area. These kids invest in their future through their wishes, and it highlights one of the most common misconceptions about Make-A-Wish: that we only serve terminally-ill children. However, more than 70 percent of wish kids live into adulthood, most of them beating their illness completely.
4 | How does Make-A-Wish engage and involve volunteers in fulfilling wishes while ensuring a positive and meaningful experience for both the volunteers and the wish families?
It is not hyperbole to say that volunteers are the lifeline of our organization. They play an integral role in every aspect of Make-A-Wish, from working with families to fundraising and representing us at community events. Our staff prioritizes thanking our volunteers every day. We host an annual event at which we recognize our Volunteer of the Year and celebrate those who have earned the “Tommy Austin Award,” presented in-person by Make-A-Wish co-founder Tommy Austin. There is almost no limit to the ways someone can volunteer with Make-A-Wish, and that is what separates us from so many other organizations. Volunteers know that they are impacting wish kids from their own communities. Everyone has a gift that they can share in some way with Make-A-Wish in support of our mission.
5 | Make-A-Wish Foundation aims to bring hope and joy to children facing critical illnesses. How do you and the wonderful staff at Make-A-Wish ensure that the wish experience truly reflects this mission?
Every decision we make is child-focused; it is our most important core value. It is a privilege to serve each wish family, and we have a duty to bring their wish to life in the way that is most impactful to them. Every child comes to us at a different place in their medical journey and with unique challenges that they face. We follow their lead throughout the wish. One of the most powerful aspects of a wish is the excitement that we build for the kids leading up to the day their wish is granted. Every month, they receive something in the mail from Make-A-Wish that tells them we are thinking of them, we are cheering for them, and we are going to bring their wish to life.
A Room Fit for Princess Casey Jane
“Though She Be But Little, She Is Fierce”
Casey Jane, an eight-year-old princess, small in stature but giant in spirit, was born with a heart defect known as HLHS (hypoplastic left heart syndrome). Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart. As the baby develops during pregnancy, the left side of the heart does not form correctly. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is one type of congenital heart defect. Congenital means present at birth. Because a baby with this defect needs surgery or other procedures soon after birth, HLHS is considered a critical congenital heart defect (CCHD).
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome with mitral and atrial stenosis has presented many challenges for Casey Jane. Throughout Casey Jane’s life she has struggled with osteopenia, feeding difficulties, failure to thrive, cyclic vomiting syndrome, developmental delays, ADHD, Gerd, and she has undergone three open heart surgeries. Casey Jane has had nine bone fractures due to brittle bones from feeding difficulties, she had a gastrostomy feeding tube for seven of her eight years, and has been hospitalized over thirty times… But all of these challenges have proven to be no match for Casey Jane. She is spunky, strong and really loves purple.
Casey Jane’s ultimate wish was to have a complete bedroom makeover, fit for a princess, with bunk beds like her brother’s, and lots of purple.
Lola Magazine had the great honor of helping bring Casey Jane’s wish to life this past spring. As excited as Casey Jane was to see her new bedroom, it was beyond thrilling for us at Lola Magazine to watch her reaction when her Make-A-Wish was granted. We extend our gratitude to The Make-A-Wish Foundation for allowing us to be a part of Casey Jane’s big day and for all the hard work and dedication they put in to bringing hope and happiness to children and families in our area.
You can help make a child’s wish come true by donating at wish.org/texgulf
Special thanks to the kind men at Ruston Community Men’s Shed for assisting in making Casey Jane’s wish come true.