Teen Author Captures Magic of Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) with Inspirational Stories in 'The Power of a Wish'

Teen Author Captures Magic of Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) with Inspirational Stories in 'The Power of a Wish'

PHOENIX ARIZONA

As a national teen volunteer ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) of America, Ali Lauren Spizman has witnessed the joy that a wish granted by the organization brings to children with life-threatening medical conditions and their families.


In "The Power of a Wish: A Celebration of Love, Hope & Gratitude" (Active Parenting Publishing, $14.95, 200 pp), the 18-year-old author shares the powerful impact that the wishes have on the recipients, their families and the people involved in fulfilling them -- from volunteers to high-profile celebrities.

"The Power of a Wish" celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which was founded in 1980. For each book sold, $1 will be donated to the Foundation to enhance program services nationwide. The book can be purchased at the Active Parenting Publishing Web site, www.activeparenting.com.

"The Power of a Wish" features inspirational stories about the "wish kids" and their unforgettable wish experiences. The wishes give the children and families a chance to enjoy a happy, life-affirming event, and several of the wish kids profiled have gone on to lead healthier, productive lives beyond childhood.

"A wish and the gratitude expressed by everyone touched by that wish affects not just the wish kid; it inspires an entire family and community," Spizman writes in the introduction. "This extraordinary reach reminds us how we are all connected in the big picture of life. The power of a wish and the kindness shared between individuals, many who don't even know each other, lives on through each of us."

The book also includes heart-warming letters of thanks written by wish kids and their families, plus personal reflections from volunteers, staff members and celebrities such as jazz legend David Brubeck, skateboarder Tony Hawk and sportscaster Bob Costas.

Make-A-Wish Foundation of America President and Chief Executive Officer David A. Williams contributed the foreword.

Among the touching wish stories are, grouped in the four wish categories granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation:

-- I Wish to Be ... CEO of General Motors and share my designs -- 16-year-old Alex of New York saw life as a CEO with GM executives in New York and Detroit and had his own car designs turned into full-color, 3-D images and a clay model by GM vehicle designers.

-- I Wish to Go ... to Paris to study artwork -- Shelby, 14, of Tennessee dreamed of becoming an artist and toured Paris as part of her wish, which inspired her to raise money to help other children experience a wish. Shelby also created the painting used as the cover art for "The Power of a Wish."

-- I Wish to Meet ... from Michael Jordan to The Rock, from Carlos Santana to Bill Gates, wish children have enjoyed the opportunity to meet and spend time with some of the world's most well-known people. Often, these celebrities are as touched by the strength and courage of the wish children as the kids are by visiting with one of their heroes.

-- I Wish to Have ... a video documentary of my recovery -- 18-year-old Marisa of New Mexico wanted other teenage hospital patients to know that they could conquer life-threatening medical conditions. With the help of several TV professionals, Marisa helped create a touching 26-minute documentary that debuted at a red-carpet premiere in her hometown, Albuquerque, N.M.

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Born in 1980 when a group of caring individuals helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 74 chapters in the United States and its territories and 28 international affiliates on five continents. Granting more than 11,700 wishes a year and 144,000 wishes worldwide since inception, the Make-A-Wish Foundation celebrates "25 Years Making Dreams Come True" in 2005. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit www.wish.org and discover how you can "share the power of a wish(R)."

About the Author

Ali Lauren Spizman is a national volunteer teen ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America(R). She is the award-winning author of "The Thank You Book For Kids: Hundreds of Creative, Cool, and Clever Ways to Say Thank You!" Spizman also designed "The Handbag of Hope(TM)," an innovative new line of handbags and accompanying accessories available exclusively at Claire's and Icing by Claire's stores, to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Spizman has appeared on CNN and has been featured in Time Magazine for Kids, Southern Living, Woman's Day, American Girl and many other media outlets. She lives in Atlanta and will attend Indiana University beginning in August.



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Teen Author Captures Magic