I first became familiar with Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon during my freshman year in high school when members of the Executive Council of Kids Making Miracles presented at our Mr. Bowmen Pageant assembly. They were high school students just like me, but they had the power to change lives and their presentation impacted me in ways I could have never imagined. My journey began right then when I recognized the truth and honesty behind the program. Myron Child, the founder of Kids Making Miracles, told the story of his daughter who contracted cancer at the age of 16 and was told she had little time to live but because of the miracle of Doernbecher, she fully recovered. Soon after this miraculous event, Myron felt the need to give back to Doernbecher so he began Kids Making Miracles to raise money through schools for the hospital that so desperately needed improvements. Kids Making Miracles was something I could honestly get involved in and be passionate about because it was true-to-life; I could honestly make a difference for the sick children at Doernbecher. Every aspect of the program promoted goodwill and friendship and I could see how much involvement in such an organization could benefit a wide range of people. All of this was attractive to me because it validated my desire to help others.

Myron’s personal story of the miracle of Doernbecher was, and still is beautiful to me because it is completely real and true. It wasn’t embellished for thematic effect in any way, and it made me realize how fragile life is. The frank truthfulness of the story impacted me so deeply on an emotional level that I felt literally compelled to join Kids Making Miracles so I could begin making a difference. Today, I serve as one of three senior co-chairs on the Executive Council of Kids Making Miracles. I have the opportunity to share the story of Kids Making Miracles at school assemblies on a weekly basis just like the students at my school assembly did. It is an amazing feeling to know that you are making an impact on people, so each time I visit a school for their Doernbecher assembly I like to try a little experiment. I begin by asking everyone who has ever been a patient at Doernbecher to stand. Once those few people are standing, I ask everyone who has ever had a family member who has been a patient at Doernbecher to stand. Finally, I ask everyone who knows someone who has ever been a patient at Doernbecher to also by stand. The end result is the same at every school I visit; nearly every person in the audience is on their feet. The point of this exercise is to show them how much Doernbecher affects all of them. It affects me every time, because it makes me appreciate my good health. It validates the many hours I have spent volunteering for Kids Making Miracles and also increases my feeling of accomplishment because I know that I have made a difference. In this regard I have truthfully helped to make a miracle happen in someone else’s life.

            What really drew me to Kids Making Miracles is the level of fairness involved; is it really fair for a child to have terminal cancer or cystic fibrosis? Absolutely not; they didn’t do a thing to deserve their situation, meanwhile their childhood is seized from their grasp. I have always had a difficult time accepting this tragedy, so when I learned what Kids Making Miracles was all about, I realized that this was my opportunity to help level the playing field and make it right on a small level. Doernbecher Children’s Hospital is amazing because its mission is to never turn a child away because their family can’t pay for the treatment their illnesses require. This is where Kids Making Miracles comes in by raising money to update their state-of-the art equipment, pay for necessary supplies as well as subsidizing patient care. By raising money for Doernbecher and encouraging others to do likewise, I am helping to rectify the heavy burdens placed on these young children. The fairness involved in Kids Making Miracles is beautiful and meaningful to me. I am incredibly moved by the impact Kids Making Miracles has had on Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, and especially for the opportunity I have personally been given to be a part of that miracle.

Fundraising for something like Doernbecher will always bring with it a certain sense of goodwill and friendship. As I have traveled to different schools in the Pacific Northwest, I have had the opportunity to work with a variety of people as they plan their school’s fundraiser for Kids Making Miracles, whether it is a pageant, an auction, a bake sale, a carnival or an entire Doernbecher awareness week. These opportunities have led me to truly internalize the ability young adults have to make a difference in the world and build lasting and meaningful relationships. At my own school, I have been directly involved in the planning of the Mr. Bowmen Pageant, a male pageant that raises money for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital,  in which each male contestant is paired with a junior or senior girl on the committee to help them stay on track. It is incredible to see the change in people as they worked together to raise money for Doernbecher; the atmosphere is calm and there is an aura of goodwill, excitement and selflessness. In both of the pageants I have been involved with, I have formed a unique bond with each of my partners that would never have been formed were it not for Doernbecher and what we were doing for the children there. I have also had the opportunity to build friendships with members of the Executive council from all over the Pacific Northwest because of my involvement as a council member and a Co-Chair this year. These relationships I have formed as a result of my work with Doernbecher are priceless to me and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

            There are many benefits that come as a result of being involved with Kids Making Miracles. The money raised obviously benefits the patients at Doernbecher, but that is just the beginning of what being involved with Kids Making Miracles has to offer. Every year before the Mr. Bowmen Pageant, the contestants and committee members take a tour of the hospital. They have the opportunity to see the incredible facility and the sick children, and their attitudes shift markedly. At this point, they see the true face of Doernbecher as I have, and it becomes real to them. Almost instantly their focus is no longer about who will win the pageant, or whose costume or talent is the funniest, they become focused solely on the children and how much they need the help of school fundraising. To me, this is compassion at its finest. No longer is their focus just on themselves, as it is so often with young adults.  Instead, it is on helping someone who they might not even know. The beauty of this change is strikingly poetic; these teenagers are not millionaires donating hundreds of thousands of dollars, they are kids, helping other kids, doing something that the children at Doernbecher can’t do for themselves.  This is a huge benefit, and I have seen it change lives.

My life, and my perspective about life has completely changed because of my involvement in Kids Making Miracles. The responsibility of speaking at school assemblies has taught me to be dependable and confident in my abilities. When I am faced with challenges I feel empowered and I have the courage to face them with energy and aggression. The dreams I once had about making a difference in another person’s life have been validated; they are now a reality because I am a Kid helping to Make Miracles. Because of Kids Making Miracles, I have become more aware of, and educated about the difficult situations that occur in this world, and as a result of this opportunity, I am a more compassionate and loving person.

            I am amazed daily by how much my life has changed as a result of a school high school students who shared their vision with me. I am 100% confident that the reason I was captivated by Kids Making Miracles was because of the truthfulness and honesty behind it; there were no ulterior motives, just an organization geared towards meting out equality, building goodwill and friendship, and benefiting everyone involved in a deeply meaningful way.