When Make-A-Wish becomes a reality
on when Make-A-Wish becomes a reality LUCY Kennedy faced her fear of heights last September when she abseiled 115ft down the side of one of Dublin’s tallest buildings.
Lucy Kennedy faced her fear of heights last September when she abseiled 115ft down the side of one of Dublin’s tallest buildings.
Although the TV star thought she’d “vomit all the way down” and that her legs “would be like jelly”, she actually went down like Spider Woman.
Lucy took on the scary descent to fundraise for Make-A-Wish, the charity for which she’s ambassador and which grants wishes of seriously ill children across Ireland – children living with life-threatening illnesses.
“If it wasn’t for a children’s charity, I don’t know that I’d have done it, but the thought of sick children motivated me and I actually quite enjoyed it [the abseil],” says the mother of three.
Make-A-Wish made Ashlee Byrne’s family “feel normal again” back when she had leukaemia. When Ray and Donna Byrne learned on Mother’s Day 2010 that their daughter had leukaemia, their “whole world froze” and time stood still. “We watched Ashlee sleep, not a care in the world — she didn’t know she was about to take on the biggest battle of her little life,” recalls Ray.
With Ashlee’s treatment under way, her mum contacted Make-A-Wish to see if they could grant her wish to be a princess for a day. In no time, the family got a detailed itinerary and learned that Ashlee’s brother Owen would be included too. The Dublin-based family were amazed they’d all be included in Ashlee’s wish. “The excitement was unreal.”
Arnotts was about to open its Christmas grotto and wanted a child to participate — Ashlee was chosen. When the wish day arrived, Ashlee had had her medication and chemo and she and Owen met Make-A-Wish team members at Arnotts. A personal shopper chose clothes and treats. “She had no hesitation modelling everything and loved strutting up and down the room. She got her hair done for her tiara. Her wish came true — she was a princess,” says Ray.
That wasn’t all. Ashlee and mum went on a horse and cart around Dublin with Miriam O’Callaghan. “When the Garda escorted them to Mary St for the grand opening of Santa’s Grotto, family, friends, and passers-by had gathered to cheer them on. With flashing blue lights and sirens going off, the atmosphere was electric.”
Ashlee’s 11 now but her family will never forget how Make-A-Wish gave them their little girl back.
“We saw a smile on her face that we hadn’t seen in a long time — she was beaming from ear to ear, her illness didn’t exist, it didn’t matter,” says Ray.
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