Ashley Crean
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My Internship at Make-a-Wish Foundation
My name is Ashley Crean and I was fortunate enough to intern with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Make-A-Wish New Jersey is a non-for-profit organization which works each day to grant the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition. The process for granting a wish starts with a referral from a medical professional, the parents or the child themselves. The wish granting team then must determine medical eligibility before continuing on to the next step which is actually granting the wish. The last step is to personalize the wish according to the child’s needs and wants. Since the start of the New Jersey chapter, the Make-A-Wish team has provided over 7,400 seriously-ill children (in all 21 counties) with the hope, strength and joy that come with a wish.
Since interning with Make-A-Wish, my main responsibilities have been to help the development staff to organize fundraisers and set up at events. I also had to compose proposals for children’s wishes, which are then sent to donors, however I spent most of my time making phone calls to wish families to gather data on the success of the wish experience. Through these phone calls, I was able to learn about the child’s illness (diagnosis, symptoms and hospital stays) and about their family life before, during and after a wish. Most of the wish parents even reported feeling less stress on the family and increased functioning of the wish child’s abilities around the time that the wish was granted.
Throughout my work with Make-A-Wish, I was able to meet many of the wish children. A meeting with one particular wish child put many of my experiences with this organization and future plans into perspective.
This is Avery. With permission from Avery’s parents, I would like to share her story with you. Avery is a three-year old girl suffering from stage 4 neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma, as I have learned, is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the nerve tissue of the adrenal gland, neck, chest, or spinal cord. During stage 4, the tumor has spread to lymph nodes, the skin, or other parts of the body, and in Avery’s case, it has spread throughout her entire body. At this point in time, due to the severity of the disease, her survival rate is approximately 30%. Even with chest tubes, Avery never wanted to stop eating her donuts or playing Hide-and-Go-Seek with me when she came to visit the castle. After getting to meet Avery, I felt that it was not only my job to talk with these families to get answers to the questions I was required to ask, but to do further research on the diagnoses and really try to empathize with what these kids and families must endure on a daily basis. Learning about the illnesses before I called these families allowed me to determine how and what to say, which helped me to better communicate with the wish parents. Avery’s wish to go to Disney World will be granted later this month.
For my “Little Piece” Project, I focused on the Industrial/Organizational part of the nonprofit. I noticed some tension between staff that is common within any organization and I wanted to assist my supervisor in addressing this issue. I researched trust and team building exercises and authored a binder of information for my supervisor. My supervisor was very pleased with my project and hopes to put some of my ideas into effect at staff meetings and trainings. It was gratifying to be able to contribute to team morale and the functioning of this important organization.
My professional goals were greatly challenged in the process. I am currently in the 5-year School Counseling Master’s program here at Monmouth, but I have also been interested in possibly becoming a Child Life Specialist, who provides emotional support for children with illnesses. Thanks to this internship, I have learned that being a Child Life Specialist is just not the job for me. Make-A-Wish has however, helped to affirm my desire to become a school guidance counselor. As a guidance counselor, I anticipate meeting and working with children who may be suffering from similar illnesses or who have other mental health issues. These wish children and the Make-A-Wish staff taught me to be sensitive and empathic to the children and families, and taught me how to create and maintain a trusting relationship with appropriate boundaries, all important skills for guidance counselors. I also have increased my confidence in a workplace setting that can be very emotional and stressful at times. I have become much more organized and better at time management. While helping to organize a fundraiser for more than 500 people, it was important that I actively listen and communicate well with others.
Through working with these children and the staff at Make-A-Wish, I have grown to be a better person. Meeting Avery and all of the Make-A-Wish kids was such an emotional, but influential part of my internship because it taught me to appreciate my life and to make the most of each moment. I also have become a better listener with not only the staff and wish children with Make-A-Wish, but also with my family and friends.
My name is Ashley Crean and I was fortunate enough to intern with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Make-A-Wish New Jersey is a non-for-profit organization which works each day to grant the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition. The process for granting a wish starts with a referral from a medical professional, the parents or the child themselves. The wish granting team then must determine medical eligibility before continuing on to the next step which is actually granting the wish. The last step is to personalize the wish according to the child’s needs and wants. Since the start of the New Jersey chapter, the Make-A-Wish team has provided over 7,400 seriously-ill children (in all 21 counties) with the hope, strength and joy that come with a wish.
Since interning with Make-A-Wish, my main responsibilities have been to help the development staff to organize fundraisers and set up at events. I also had to compose proposals for children’s wishes, which are then sent to donors, however I spent most of my time making phone calls to wish families to gather data on the success of the wish experience. Through these phone calls, I was able to learn about the child’s illness (diagnosis, symptoms and hospital stays) and about their family life before, during and after a wish. Most of the wish parents even reported feeling less stress on the family and increased functioning of the wish child’s abilities around the time that the wish was granted.
Throughout my work with Make-A-Wish, I was able to meet many of the wish children. A meeting with one particular wish child put many of my experiences with this organization and future plans into perspective.
This is Avery. With permission from Avery’s parents, I would like to share her story with you. Avery is a three-year old girl suffering from stage 4 neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma, as I have learned, is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the nerve tissue of the adrenal gland, neck, chest, or spinal cord. During stage 4, the tumor has spread to lymph nodes, the skin, or other parts of the body, and in Avery’s case, it has spread throughout her entire body. At this point in time, due to the severity of the disease, her survival rate is approximately 30%. Even with chest tubes, Avery never wanted to stop eating her donuts or playing Hide-and-Go-Seek with me when she came to visit the castle. After getting to meet Avery, I felt that it was not only my job to talk with these families to get answers to the questions I was required to ask, but to do further research on the diagnoses and really try to empathize with what these kids and families must endure on a daily basis. Learning about the illnesses before I called these families allowed me to determine how and what to say, which helped me to better communicate with the wish parents. Avery’s wish to go to Disney World will be granted later this month.
For my “Little Piece” Project, I focused on the Industrial/Organizational part of the nonprofit. I noticed some tension between staff that is common within any organization and I wanted to assist my supervisor in addressing this issue. I researched trust and team building exercises and authored a binder of information for my supervisor. My supervisor was very pleased with my project and hopes to put some of my ideas into effect at staff meetings and trainings. It was gratifying to be able to contribute to team morale and the functioning of this important organization.
My professional goals were greatly challenged in the process. I am currently in the 5-year School Counseling Master’s program here at Monmouth, but I have also been interested in possibly becoming a Child Life Specialist, who provides emotional support for children with illnesses. Thanks to this internship, I have learned that being a Child Life Specialist is just not the job for me. Make-A-Wish has however, helped to affirm my desire to become a school guidance counselor. As a guidance counselor, I anticipate meeting and working with children who may be suffering from similar illnesses or who have other mental health issues. These wish children and the Make-A-Wish staff taught me to be sensitive and empathic to the children and families, and taught me how to create and maintain a trusting relationship with appropriate boundaries, all important skills for guidance counselors. I also have increased my confidence in a workplace setting that can be very emotional and stressful at times. I have become much more organized and better at time management. While helping to organize a fundraiser for more than 500 people, it was important that I actively listen and communicate well with others.
Through working with these children and the staff at Make-A-Wish, I have grown to be a better person. Meeting Avery and all of the Make-A-Wish kids was such an emotional, but influential part of my internship because it taught me to appreciate my life and to make the most of each moment. I also have become a better listener with not only the staff and wish children with Make-A-Wish, but also with my family and friends.