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Community Corner

Make-A-Wish Comes True For St. Peters Child

Wesley, seven, of St. Peters lives with ALL, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  When presented with an opportunity for a wish, he chose to visit the Atlantis Resort.  Wesley’s wish came true, courtesy of United Health Foundation and Make-A-Wish®.

 

United Health Foundation sponsored Wesley’s wish through its national alliance with Make-A-Wish® to support the organization and its mission of granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

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Wesley was diagnosed with ALL in August of 2011, just before his fifth birthday. According to his wish granters, Wesley is currently receiving treatment at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital and is doing amazingly well.  He is a very high energy child, and makes the best out of his free time.  Wesley loves to play baseball, play his drums, ride his bike and wrestle with his younger brother, Nolan.  This trip is an opportunity for Wesley that his family would only be able to dream about.  After seeing a commercial on TV for the Atlantis Resort, Wesley knew exactly what he wanted to do.  He could not believe people were riding down slides into water filled with sharks.  Wesley has always been fascinated with sharks, and just can’t seem to get enough of them.  He will be traveling to the Bahamas with his parents, Courtney and Ryan, and Nolan.

 

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“We are very happy to play a role in making Wesley’s wish come true,” said Steve Walli, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Heartland States.  “Make-A-Wish truly makes a positive impact in our communities and brings joy to so many children courageously facing life-threatening medical conditions.”

 

Since 2007, UnitedHealth Group has funded more than 2,136 wishes through a $7.5 million alliance with Make-A-Wish.  Additionally, UnitedHealth Group employees and the dollar-for-dollar company match have resulted in more than $5.3 million in donations through the company’s annual United Giving Campaign.

 

About Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish® grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true can have positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Based in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 38 minutes. It has granted more than 240,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,000 in 2013 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org to learn more.

 

About United Health Foundation

Guided by a passion to help people live healthier lives, United Health Foundation provides helpful information to support decisions that lead to better health outcomes and healthier communities. The Foundation also supports activities that expand access to quality health care services for those in challenging circumstances and partners with others to improve the well being of communities. Since established by UnitedHealth Group [NYSE: UNH] in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private foundation, the Foundation has committed more than $210 million to improve health and health care. For more information, visit www.unitedhealthfoundation.org.


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