On March 28, my wife and I had a delightful visit with Bret Johnson, his parents Brad and Tiffanie and his siblings Derek, Seth and Carley. What an honor to meet Bret and his family. This neat young man, a 5th grader in Doniphan, is a cancer survivor as well as a Make-A-Wish recipient.
In October of 2007, Bret was diagnosed with AML, a form of Leukemia. What followed was 8 months and 7 rounds of chemo treatments at Children’s Hospital in Omaha. Bret had a tutor, Miss Maggie, who helped him keep up with school work. Brad and Tiffanie also pitched in and supported him in many other ways as well. I have no doubt that it was a difficult time for the entire family. With jobs and three children at home, life couldn’t stop there just because Bret was in Omaha. Family and friends pitched in and helped a lot. In the end, the countless trips back and forth and the months of time spent apart ended up (I sensed) bringing them all closer together as a family. My wife commented that Bret has the pose of a youngster who had to grow up fast. He was at ease talking with us (strangers), very respectful, with a good sense of humor. His cancer has been in remission for nearly three years (he will be considered cured after 5 years) and he’s able to do all the things any other 5th grader would be doing.
Bret was granted a wish by Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska in July of 2008. His wish was very practical: a swimming pool in his yard. A trip to Disneyworld or the Super Bowl would’ve left some great memories. But, this way he can literally share his wish with others (family and friends). Even with snow on the ground, his folks said that he and his friends are already talking about how much fun they’re going to have playing basketball at Bret’s place and then having a dip in his pool!
Bret said that knowing he would be receiving a swimming pool shortly after returning home from Omaha really made him happy. The encouragement he felt and the future fun he anticipated helped him get through all the treatments as well as being away from home, family and friends. His parents said they deeply appreciated Hannah Stone (the director of the Kearney office) and the other Make-A-Wish people who worked with them. They had nothing but praise for this organization and its volunteers.
Visiting the Johnsons, meeting Bret, hearing their story and seeing how Bret’s wish brought hope, strength and joy to all of them was truly a privilege. It makes me even more motivated to do all I can to raise funds for and awareness of the valuable work of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Nebraska! Thanks for your support. Mike Reiners
