Contents

Michael Jordan: Introduction 1 Michael Phelps: Seeing Dreams and Wishes Coming True 10 Ken Griffey, Jr.: You Cant Say No 20 John Cena: Up for the Fight 28 Jimmie Johnson: Racing for Smiles 40 Bethany Hamilton: The Blessing of Joy 48 Kurt Warner: Building Relationships for the Entire Family 56 Luis Gonzalez: Giving Children a Sense of Ownership 64 Grant Hill: The Experience Will Change You 72 Chris Petersen: Paying It Forward 80 Annika Sorenstam: Attitude Is Everything 90 Scott Hamilton: The Gift of Memories 100 Chipper Jones: Rising to the Challenge 108

C O N T E N T S

Evander Holyeld: Wishes Are Part of a Mission 116 Larry Fitzgerald: One Person Can Make a Difference

A Child Changed Me 122

Jim Kleinsasser: Every Child Deserves a Childhood 128 Ricky Carmichael: Its About Doing Right 134 Misty May-Treanor: Live in the Moment 140 Barry Sanders: We Can All Do Something 148 Anthony Robles: Defying Expectations 154 Tim Hudson: Finding a Cause 162 Tony Hawk: Its All About Hope 170 Landon Donovan: Granting Wishes Makes Me Better 178 Danica Patrick: Its All About Attitude 188 The New England Patriots: A Team Responsibility 194

Epilogue 207 Credits 209 About Make-A-Wish 210 About Michael Jordan 211 About Don Yaeger 212 How It All Started 213

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ONE PERsON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENcE A CHILd CHANGEd ME

Larry Fitzgerald
At the past Make- A - Wish Ball, I was strolling through the silent auction items and looking at the various offerings, trying to gure out what I wanted to bid on, when there was suddenly a little tug on my sleeve.

was surprised that someone might be trying to get my attention, since I didnt

really know anyone there. I wasnt a formally invited guest myself, but my friend Steven Ellman (who serves on the board for the local chapter of Make- A- Wish) knew

of my love for the foundation and asked if Id like to come along. So I turned around (a little confused) to see who was pulling on my sleeve, and there stood Jordan. He was a little taller than when Id rst met him, and when he said hello, I could tell that he was speaking a little more clearly, but it was denitely and unmistakably my little buddy Jordan. I rst met Jordan a year before, when he was four. He loves watching sports, and his wish was to meet me, so he and his family were invited down to the Arizona Cardinals training facility in Tempe to watch a practice and hang out with me afterward. He was absolutely grinning the entire time, holding a big bunch of balloons from Make- A- Wish that seemed to dwarf such a tiny guy. His parents and his

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brother were with him as well, and even though Jordan seemed a little unsure or overwhelmed at rst, his dad held his hand the whole time, and you could tell that they were both pretty excited about his special day. The whole family seemed to be enjoying the time away from the hospital, sitting together and just having fun as if, for that one day, they didnt have any other cares in the world. As soon as practice was over, I brought about ten of my teammates over with me to say hello and meet the family. It was the coolest thing. Before I knew it, everyone was talking and laughing, and the Cardinals who had joined us were taking off gloves to give to the boys. I signed a pair of shoes and then took a practice ball a nd Jordan a nd went down to the locker room to get the ball autographed by more players and coaches, and to show Jordan around our facilities. You wouldnt believe how tiny he looked in the midst of all those huge football players, but everyone was so gentle and funny with him that we were soon all laughing and high- ving each other as if he were part of the defensive line. We talked about what he was learning in preschool and what kinds of games he liked to play with his brother and his friends. I tried to make sure that we steered clear of his illness unless he brought it up; I didnt want him to feel like he had to talk about it unless he wanted to. At home, I keep a framed picture of his family as a reminder of that great day, so to see him and his family again at the ball was such a wonderful surprise. Jordan looked healthy and happy (which was the best part of all). I kneeled down and started talking to him, telling him he cleaned up really well and that, thanks to him and his dapper little tux, I was no longer the best- dressed man in the room. He

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started grinning his fantastic little grin again, just beaming from ear to ear. His whole family was there, so I was able to catch up with all of them and hear about how Jordans recovery was progressing. That was absolutely the highlight of my evening and kept me grinning nonstop for at least the next week. I had no idea when I rst started working with Make- A- Wish how much I would be changed by each experience. I remember before I got to the NFL watching segments on TV about athletes granting wishes, and I always thought it sounded like such an amazing thing to help a sick child live out a dream, but I didnt understand that being part of that could shift your whole paradigm. Fast- forward a few years, and there I was, playing in the NFL just like the guys I used to watch, when Make- A- Wish reached out to me with Jordans story and wish. I was shocked at rst, because I always gured it was big celebrities who got these kinds of requests. Of course I was eager to help out and incredibly honored that Jordan would have chosen me to be part of his wish, but I didnt realize how changed I would be at the end of the day. My rst thought after learning about his situation and meeting his family was Wow! Those parents are so strong. My own son was two years old at the time, and I remember arriving home after practice that day and getting on my knees, thanking the Lord that my son was healthy. It gives you a sense of gratitude for the little trials and stresses of your day that the worst you may have to deal with is a fussy child with teething pains or a stomach bug or anything else temporary and minor. Of course, no parent likes to see their child suffer, but sometimes its easy to get wrapped up in thinking about the inconveniences you have to face (I only got three hours of sleep last night because my child

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kept waking up with an earache) instead of counting your blessings (Thank goodness it was only an earache). That night after meeting Jordan, I realized that I could not care less what my son decides to be when he grows up. I dont care where he decides to go to college. I dont care about how he wears his hair. Provided that he is growing to be a healthy young man who makes good decisions, knows he is loved, and is happy, I have absolutely no room to complain. Its amazing how quickly all the other little worries of life fall by the wayside when you realize what truly matters and what a gift you have really been given with a healthy child. Its also surprising how much you nd yourself wanting to talk about the wish- granting experience after youve been a part of it. I couldnt wait to tell friends about the amazing little kid Id met and his fantastic family. I felt so moved to share that experience with my family, my teammates, and anyone else who I thought might listen because I wanted them to jump on the opportunity immediately if they ever had a chance to participate. There are so many ways to get involved, and I really believe that once someone participates, he or she will never regret it and will be eager to participate again. Just think about how you feel inside when youre able to make a child smile ... and then multiply that by a thousand.

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That night when I was a guest at the Wish Ball, I realized that I wanted to make a lifelong commitment to the foundation. Looking around the room and seeing all the other people who were partners in this fantastic effort really gave me a sense of purpose I wanted to be a staunch supporter in whatever way I could. And then being spotted by Jordan again? That sealed the deal for me. I will forever be grateful to Jordan for making that wish and allowing me the chance to meet him and gain a whole new perspective on things. It changed me forever as an athlete, as a dad, and as a person.

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