Wish stories

Living with cystic fibrosis means that 13-year-old Teri-Rose spends much of her time at home. “It can be hard for her,” said mum Charni “but writing is her medicine.” During the pandemic, Teri-Rose was stuck at home, shielding due to the implications that cystic fibrosis has on her immune system. But writing “The Mad Cat Lady”, a book that follows the life of Isabelle and her mischievous cats, offered her a world to escape to. Her wish to have her book published gave the young writer a wealth of knowledge into the world of writing, something she’ll carry with her for the rest of her life.

Shortly after being born Teri-Rose was diagnosed with a bleed in her brain. “I was told that she would be both deaf and blind,” said Mum. Fortunately, this didn’t prove to be true, but a visit by a community nurse led to a trip to Great Ormond Street Hospital, where tests revealed that Teri-Rose had cystic fibrosis. “There was such little awareness about cystic fibrosis back then, I didn’t know what it was.”

Quickly, the families' lives flipped. Overnight, her four siblings were tested to see if they were carriers for cystic fibrosis, with her eldest brother Denver, who was just 15 at the time, receiving life-altering news that he was a carrier of the condition.

“We have to be more careful with cleaning because if she catches a bug she can end up in hospital. It must have been so hard for them.”

Living with cystic fibrosis poses a host of implications on Teri-Roses' life: “She’s petrified of needles, but with cystic fibrosis, she has to be exposed to them.” Living with cystic fibrosis meant that Teri-Rose's pancreas used to not have the enzymes needed to break down food, making her reliant on Creons, a medication that aids the digestion of food: “She hates all the tablets. She's in and out of the hospital every six months for two weeks of treatment. It's changed her as a person, but she's just someone who just happened to have cystic fibrosis it doesn't define her.”

After realising that mainstream schools weren’t right for Teri-Rose, Mum opted for homeschooling. As Mum told us, “Being at home all the time is hard, but when she was in a mainstream school she’d have to start again after coming home from treatment. I’d get phone calls after dropping her off saying that she was in the medical room.

But whilst homeschooling might see Teri-Rose at home, writing offers her a place to escape to “It’s her medicine”, said Mum.

From the young age of just 2, it was apparent that Teri-Rose had a knack for writing. “When she was little her teacher noticed her writing skills and encouraged her to keep writing,” explained Mum.

In primary school, Teri-Rose would write short stories, sharing them with her mates who would wait eagerly every Monday morning in the schoolyard to find out what her next book would be about.

“So, when Mum and Dad found out that Teri-Rose was eligible for a wish, they pounced on the idea of getting their daughter’s book published.

“We were delighted when we got the news that it would be published - it's something we would never be able to do without Make-A-Wish.”

When Teri-Rose was given her published book on Christmas day, she was overjoyed. Finally, she was able to hold her book - something that she had poured hours of hard work and creativity into.

Following this was Teri-Rose's launch party on the 18th of February - a day when she could celebrate the launch of her book with her nearest and dearest at a local bookstore. On the day, the author signed copies of her book and took photos with her family and friends.

Mum told us “It was a really lovely atmosphere. There are only a few places where she feels accepted, but she felt comfortable in the bookshop and really felt like a star! Her golden moment was when she was signing books- she's usually quite shy but she loved all the attention!”

The impact of Teri-Rose's wish will be felt for years to come. Already, the young author plans to write short stories based on the characters in her book.

As the family preps for a two-week stay at Great Ormond Street Hospital where Teri-Rose will be receiving treatment, they’ll have the memories of her launch party to light up what is usually a mundane time. “This couldn’t have come at a better for her. We’ll be bringing her book with us to show everyone.”

For children like Teri-Rose, a wish provides an urgently needed moral boost, “They’re going through hell and as parents, we just want to get them out of that situation. Having a wish lifted us.”

But for Teri-Rose, her wish also provided her with a sense of direction, providing helpful insight into a future career in book writing. As mum explained “Kids might want to become something like a singer or fashion designer but don’t know where to start - the wish guides them and gives them that inspiration that will last with them forever.”

“From the bottom of my heart thank you so much- without Make-A-Wish we wouldn't have been able to do this.”