By Sarah Stone

PA boy receives special gift from Children’s Wish Foundation

Jul 20, 2012 | 12:57 PM

A seven-year-old boy has wished upon a star and been granted a fairy tale.

Thanks to the Children’s Wish Foundation Kai Mengall is now spending the summer camping with his family in a brand new trailer.

When Kai was diagnosed with a brain tumour near January his family was rocked to the core. On days after the diagnosis the young boy was entering surgery to have it removed, a time his mother Nicole said she will never forget.

“As a parent it’s overwhelming. You’re devastated; you’re in shock because you assume the worst,” Nicole explained, adding he was facing a risk of brain damage or cancer.

“It’s probably the worst nightmare you could wish for any family to have to go through because you’re seeing your son connected to tubes. He had to spend 10 days lying flat because of the pressure building up in his head and they had to drain the excess fluid,” she said. “And then his brothers having to come see him and he’s not the same brother—he’s sick.”

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It was here that the social worker on Kai’s case suggested Nicole and her husband Philip apply to the Children’s Wish Foundation.

Stacie Driedger, wish co-ordinator for the Saskatchewan chapter said Kai’s case and family touched her heart.

“I love them,” Driedger said bluntly with a laugh. “They’re so sweet. They’re just a really really nice family who have been through a lot with their little guy and receiving their wish for Kai, which was a camping trailer, was really special for them because they’re a family that loves to spend time together.”

Driedger has been travelling around the province this week with her colleague Gay Oldhaver on the Wishes and Dreams tour to raise awareness for the foundation and the Children’s Wish Home Lottery.

She said lottery prize this year will be a new show home built for the winner anywhere they desire in the province. She explained it’s because of fundraisers like this one that they are able to grant wishes.

“We’ve never denied an eligible child their wish,” Driedger said.

Luckily, Kai has made a great recovery and was granted his wish, despite facing a few hardships along the way.

He chose the camper trailer because he remembered camping with his grandparents and loved it.

“He was just thrilled with this,” Nicole said. “It’s fun to watch him … you really wouldn’t know what he’s gone through to see him now.”

What’s Kai’s favourite part of camping with his family now that they have the trailer?

“We get to go swimming,” Kai said.

The Children’s Wish Foundation has been active in Saskatchewan for 26 years granting more than 800 wishes for children suffering from high risk or life threatening illnesses.

“The wish foundation is an amazing organization they make these kids feel amazingly special and they don’t treat them like something horrible has happened to them. They give them courage, they give them hope, and they make us feel like a million bucks,” Nicole said, trying to control her tears of appreciation.

She said they were invited to the Swing and a Wish banquet where they were walked in on a red carpet and received a standing ovation.

“It was such an overwhelming feeling that, you know, people are doing this out of the kindness of their hearts to make these kids feel special after all they’ve gone through and it’s just wonderful.”

sstone@panow.com
On Twitter: @sarahstone84