The thing I envied the most, however, were the scrapes and bruises that made each child cry. A cut was the worst pain their small lives had ever encountered, and for me, I would have given anything to feel the pain of a scratch as compared to that of an inflamed pancreas. My pain involved screaming at all hours of the night, to the point where in my sleep, my one refuge, my dreams were no longer filled with castles and fairytales, but with images of lying in a hospital bed shaking from the all-too-real pain.

After one particularly complicated procedure, my doctor told my mom and me about a patient named Alyssa with pediatric pancreatitis who had her procedure right before mine. A patient just like me. My mind wandered of the possibilities of having a girl just a mere year older than me staying in the room next door. Someone who was outstandingly abnormal. Someone who could relate to my pain. Someone who could finally tell me honestly and truly that they understood. Alyssa made it out of her procedure and shortly after, we developed a form of communication through the nurses until we were both strong enough to meet face to face. A small whiteboard had been gifted to me through one of the numerous visitors, and I poured my heart and soul into writing letters to the first child who suffered from pancreatitis I had ever met. Once finished, I would give the board to a nurse who would dutifully deliver the note to Alyssa.

Our “hospital pen pal friendship” or “HPPF” communication continued until Alyssa was able to make the walk over to my room. Our conversation stretched from one of tears to one of laughter, and while I don’t remember what we said, I remember exactly how it felt to have someone look at you and say two simple words that can mean the world: I understand. And since then, whenever I visit another pancreas patient who feels like their world is falling apart, I hold them in a hug and utter those words so they can know just what it feels like to be loved, and understood. -By Rebecca Taylor

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The longed-for holiday arrived after a complicated procedure, and my body refused to heal. My day was spent resting while watching the Macy’s Day Parade, and then a visit to all of the nurses on staff, where I handed out a few tediously detailed, handmade cards coated in piles of glitter. Cards I spent hours making while propped up on a pillow and covered in heat packs to ease the pain.

My mom worked tirelessly to help me with the cards and miraculously managed to convince the doctors to check me out of the hospital very late at night.

After packing up our home-away-from-home, complete with multicolored pillows, wall stickers, and welcome signs, we drove home where I was able to spend the night laying on the couch and watching movies with family.

That year, on that Thanksgiving, I realized I had so much more to be thankful for than things on the surface. Sure, I have spent most of my life sick and hospitalized. I miss school, and I am often too weak to hang out with friends. But because of my life, I am able to appreciate the out-of-the-ordinary.

THANK YOU HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

I have two families.  Not only do I have my brothers, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to love, but I also have another family with my fantastic teams of nurses, technicians, and doctors. They treat me like a daughter, something that meant so much more to me than they could have possibly realized. And so, first off, on this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all the medical providers out there who have helped to keep me alive all these years.

Secondly, I am thankful for my disease. Without it, I would not be who I am today.

I would not be able to stand up for other children who have pediatric pancreatitis or any other form of disability.

I would not have the platform that I have today, where I  am working to change the world one  life at a time.

I would not trade places with anyone else in the world.

Because of my pediatric pancreatitis, I can hold a hurting child in my arms and tell them I understand, while they know someone loves them and wants to take care of them.

So this Thanksgiving, when giving thanks for the good, remember the bad, because the storms in life make us who we are and teach us to truly appreciate everything around us.

Written by Rebecca Taylor – Founder of Rebecca’s Wish

NOTE:

DONATE NOW:

https://app.hellofund.com/view/2ywnBywg

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CONSIDER THIS:

As you kicked back over your holiday weekend in front of a TV watching the Rams beat the Saints or the Patriots dump the Chiefs, Rebecca Taylor, Founder of Rebecca’s Wish, the 501(c)3 she started in 2018 to battle the scourge of pediatric pancreatitis, pounded the pavement on the Northwest Side. Her mission: to lock down donations and gift cards from local businesses for a family fundraiser for Rebecca’s Wish called Wild for Wishes. San Antonio Zoo is the location of this exciting, first-of-its kind fundraiser for Rebecca’s Wish.

The photo used for this blog, shows Rebecca and her friend, Amelia, smiling after receiving donations from Bowl and Barrel and General Public for Wild for Wishes.

WILD FOR WISHES:

What:  A night of imagination and transformation. Children with pancreatitis will be roaming through San Antonio Zoo along with their families for a night of fun and fundraising.

When: Saturday, March 30 from 6:00-11:00 p.m.

Why: The goal is to raise funds for pediatric pancreatic research, education, and patient support to enable efficient and effective resource deployment to produce better outcomes for children afflicted by pancreatic ailments and diseases.

“It feels amazing to know Rebecca’s Wish has the strength to pay it forward to other children with pancreatitis, just one year since we launched this non-profit,” said Rebecca’s Wish Founder Rebecca Taylor. “Wild For Wishes will raise awareness about pediatric pancreatitis and give children with this terrible disease a night of fun with friends, and the chance to take their mind off their medical conditions.”

PURCHASE TICKETS & SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES

You can help make this event a success with your support. We ask you to consider a sponsorship package in addition to purchasing tickets. We need transformational leaders to sponsor key portions of the party and to underwrite large cost items for Wild for Wishes. We anticipate a crowd of 750-1000 people taking part in this night, which is the signature fundraiser in 2019 for Rebecca’s Wish.

There are multiple levels of sponsorship available. Sponsorships help cover a large portion of the costs for the event and ensure children with pancreatitis get the opportunity to attend this party at no cost. As a nonprofit organization, we depend on generous donors to help give life to Rebecca’s Wish.

ABOUT REBECCA’S WISH:

Rebecca’s Wish is a 501(c)3 launched by a 16-year old high school sophomore from San Antonio, Rebecca Taylor. Rebecca founded this non-profit in 2018 as a result of her eight-year struggle with chronic pancreatitis and related complications. She is one of the few children in the world, now living without a pancreas.

In its first year at a non-profit, Rebecca’s Wish in 2018, raised more than a half-million dollars, with donors and supporters captivated by the magic of a teenager who turns cannot into can do.

Among the many accomplishments of Rebecca’s Wish, the charity spearheaded an agreement with local hospitals to help train the world’s first pediatric-trained pancreatic endoscopist. To my surprise, despite all the advances in modern medicine, pediatric-trained physicians who  specialize in pancreatic care did not exist prior to this initiative launched by Rebecca’s Wish. Oftentimes, children with pancreatitis are told there is no help available, or they are sent home to die. Although the pancreas is a vital organ, the treatment options are extremely, extremely limited, especially for children.

So that we can continue to train pediatric specialists to fight this medical scourge, we are asking for your help as we team up with San Antonio Zoo for Wild for Wishes.

We are available to answer questions you might have about this event or you can  learn more about Rebecca’s Wish at RebeccasWish.org. We thank you for your consideration of a cause that is working hard to better understand a disease that afflicts more than 100-thousand children annually.

BUY TICKETS HERE

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We are told since youth if we keep climbing, we will reach the top of our mountain. And once we get to the mountaintop by reaching our goals, we will enjoy the spectacular view of our accomplishments. Beauty comes at a price. A mountain must be climbed. The hike might not be easy, but the end makes it worth the effort. 

At least, that is what I have been told my whole life. One day, I will get there. One day, I will be able to live without pain. One day, I will have enough energy to run. One day, I will be healed. But what if I keep climbing and never reach my mountaintop?

When I was seven years old, I was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. My initial diagnosis morphed into a conglomeration of eighteen other diseases as my body continued to attack itself. As the years progressed, my organs, including my pancreas, slowly failed one by one until last week when I lost my sixth organ.

My overarching disease was unknown. While subsequent disorders could be named and treated, we were only addressing the symptoms of a bigger problem. My family and I went from hospital to hospital across the country frantically searching for a diagnosis. The known is easier to fight than the unknown and, despite the fact I knew there might not be a cure, I still longed for a name to this disease attacking my body. A name meant I was one step closer to the end of my mountaintop.

Every appointment, every test, and every one of the 90-plus surgical procedures ended in the same result. Medical specialists nationwide were confounded by my case. Most institutions gave up before starting; I was a “walking miracle” who had no earthly reason to be alive. At what point do you stop? When do you look at your future and realize it should not merely exist of white coats, years in a hospital room, and treatments that are all in vain? When does the pain end? When your life is on the line, you are left with two options: give up or keep going. 

Living each day as a battle is exhausting. You eventually get so tired of fighting that you have nothing left. So, I stopped fighting and shifted my focus. In 2014, Make-A-Wish offered me the world. I could go anywhere I wanted, meet any person on the planet, do anything I pleased. My choice was easy. I chose to stop fighting for myself and start helping others. 

By 2018, four years of hard work came to a bright beginning. Rebecca’s Wish – the world’s first nonprofit dedicated to children with pancreatitis – was launched. Since its inception, countless pediatric patients have come to our door desperate for help. They needed relief from their pain. They needed an end to their searching. They needed a refuge. And Rebecca’s Wish met their needs.

If I focused on my own suffering, my self-centered orientation led to misery. But, why concentrate on myself when I could ease the burden for thousands of other children? My pain, my emotional trauma, and my ongoing struggles could be used to help others afflicted with a similar journey.

In finding hope for the children of Rebecca’s Wish, I found hope in myself. The joy of easing another’s pain erased my own despondency. They gave me a part of my life back. They gave me courage. They gave me determination. They gave me ambition. They gave me a reason to keep going.

I might never reach the end of my mountain. I might spend the rest of my life chasing after a cure that does not exist. I might never get to see the view at the top. But I have come to realize my beauty is not in the finish line. My beauty is in the journey of the smiles from the patients finding someone who understands. My beauty is in the parents who find relief for their children. My beauty is in the hope that one day, all children suffering from pancreatitis will have a cure. I could spend my life fighting for myself or, I could use every unknown remaining second I have walking beside another child, helping them climb mountains of their own. 

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Click here to watch a quick interview with Rebecca.

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CONSIDER THIS:

We want to tell you about a transformational leader in San Antonio, who at the age of 19, leaves us in awe as she carries herself with grace, passion, bravery, and fearlessness that is well beyond her years.

Her name is Rebecca Taylor. Rebecca’s body started shutting down more than a decade ago because of an unknown auto-immune disease which eventually attacked her pancreas. She suffered for years in agonizing pain until receiving a lifesaving surgery which removed her pancreas. Every day, she continues to fight for her life.

Rebecca resting at home in November 2021 with her brothers Alexander(l) and Nicholas(r).

As opposed to wallowing in self-pity, Rebecca decided to battle for the thousands of children diagnosed annually with pediatric pancreatitis, a disease for which there is no known cure. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation heard about Rebecca and approached her to make her dreams come true, Rebecca sidestepped the ordinary and shot for the extraordinary. She asked for a medical philanthropist to help her start a nonprofit, so that she could help children just like herself, who suffer from this tortuous disease.

On April 30th 2022, Rebecca’s Wish, the nonprofit founded by Rebecca Taylor, is teaming up with San Antonio Zoo for a night of imagination and transformation called Wild for Wishes. Children with pancreatitis will be roaming through the zoo along with their families for a night of fun and fundraising. In order to continue the fight we NEED your help.

PURCHASE SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES

We ask you to consider a sponsorship package in addition to purchasing tickets when they become available in February 2022. We need transformational leaders to sponsor key portions of the party and to underwrite large cost items for Wild for Wishes. We anticipate a crowd of more than 1000 people taking part in this night, which is the signature fundraiser for Rebecca’s Wish in 2022.

There are multiple levels of sponsorship available. Sponsorships help cover a large portion of the costs for the event and ensure children with pancreatitis get the opportunity to attend this party at no cost. As a nonprofit, we depend on generous donors to help give life to Rebecca’s Wish.

Rebecca Taylor and her family tug-of-war with a lion during Wild for Wishes 2019

WILD FOR WISHES:

What:  A night of imagination and transformation. Children with pancreatitis will be roaming through San Antonio Zoo along with their families for a night of fun and fundraising.

When: Saturday, April 30 from 6:00-11:00 p.m.

Why: The chief focus of Wild for Wishes is the sponsorship of pediatric pancreatitis patients to attend Camp Hope, which is a summer program we created in partnership with the National Pancreas Foundation, so that children with chronic pancreatitis can experience the joy of attending a camp with children who share a similar life journey.

“It feels amazing to know Rebecca’s Wish is able to pay it forward to other children with pancreatitis and to provide hope,” said Rebecca’s Wish Founder Rebecca Taylor. “Wild for Wishes will raise awareness about pediatric pancreatitis and give children with this terrible disease a night of fun with friends. At the same time, it is wonderful knowing that money raised during Wild for Wishes will be helping children with pancreatitis to attend camp this summer for free.”

“We picked the name Camp Hope, because these children need hope, and if this camp can provide hope through their disease path, it’s a win win for everyone,” stated Rebecca’s Wish President Christyn Taylor. “Medical expenses are enormous for a child with pancreatitis, and typically so prohibitive, that is is challenging for families to pay their rents let alone send a child to summer camp.”

You can help make this event a success with your support. We are also asking local businesses to donate items and gift cards to support our silent and live auctions.

CLICK HERE: DONATE TO THE SILENT & LIVE AUCTION

ABOUT REBECCA’S WISH:

Rebecca’s Wish is a 501(c)3 launched by a 19-year old college freshman from San Antonio, Rebecca Taylor. Rebecca founded this nonprofit as a result of her lengthy and painful struggle with chronic pancreatitis and related complications. Her pancreas was removed more than 10 years ago in order to save her life.

In its three years as a nonprofit, Rebecca’s Wish has raised more than two million dollars, with donors and supporters captivated by the magic of a teenager who turns the misfortune of her disease into hope and healing.

Among the many accomplishments of Rebecca’s Wish, the nonprofit spearheaded an agreement with local hospitals to help train the world’s first pediatric-trained pancreatic endoscopist. In addition to successfully positioning four pediatric-trained endoscopists across the United States, with a fifth currently being trained, Rebecca’s Wish also teamed up with NIH and the FDA in Washington, D.C. to start the process of developing the first drug-targeted therapy for pancreas disease.

To our surprise, despite all the advances in modern medicine, pediatric-trained physicians who specialize in pancreatic care did not exist prior to our initiative. Often, children with pancreatitis are told there is no help available and are essentially being sent home to die. Even though the pancreas is a vital organ, the treatment options are extremely, extremely limited, especially for children.

We are available to answer questions you might have about this event, or you can  learn more about Rebecca’s Wish at RebeccasWish.org. We thank you for your consideration of a cause that is working hard to better understand a disease that afflicts more than 100-thousand children annually.

Tracee Feik   traceefeik@yahoo.com

Dina Selva    dinaselva@me.com

Wild for Wishes Co-Chairs

WILD FOR WISHES TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN FEBRUARY

The post Wild for Wishes 2022 appeared first on Rebecca's Wish.

When COVID began, it was a difficult but necessary decision for us to stop our hospital visits. Thankfully, the pancreatic endoscopy team took over for Rebecca’s Wish.

Almost two years after my last visit, I was finally able to meet patients again in person over the holidays. Being able to see first hand what Rebecca’s Wish means for other children with pancreatitis reminds me how important it is to support them in their suffering – most especially around the holidays.

I am so thrilled to announce that your generosity in donating toward our Hospital Holly Campaign greatly surpassed our original goal of $21,000. You raised more than $60,000!!!

I want to thank everyone who helped to support or give toward this cause over the last month. Your kindness means that we can provide scholarships to more than 60 patients and their families. The scholarships will go toward medical bills, lost wages, travel expenses, housing, food, or anything else related to the expensive care of a child with pancreatitis. We look forward to this next year, as we hope that we can continue to work toward our goal of eradicating pediatric pancreatitis. 

With love,
Rebecca 

Cora was one of dozens of children hospitalized with pancreatitis over the holidays in San Antonio. Rebecca Taylor, Founder of Rebecca’s Wish, got to meet Cora and provide her with a Rebecca’s Wish scholarship.

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I am thankful to be out of the hospital. I am thankful to be with family. And I am thankful to eat small portions at a time. But, during my thankful state, I am also reminded of those who are unable to be out of the hospital for the holidays. They too may be storing recipes on their phone and dreaming of family gatherings they are too sick to attend. 

Rebecca’s Wish hopes to stop children battling pancreas diseases from spending holidays in the hospital. And it is because of our generous donors that we are aggressively working toward finding a cure. Thank you for your continued support. This Thanksgiving, Rebecca’s Wish is thankful for you!  – Rebecca Taylor, Rebecca’s Wish Founder

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