Students from Neshaminy High School’s Interact Club are raising funds to answer the dream of Milen Kichukov, of Hatfield, who is on Sunshine Foundation’s waiting list.
The foundation answers dreams to children with severe life-long chronic illnesses and conditions such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, low-functioning autism, Down syndrome, hydrocephalus, severe epilepsy, Sickle Cell Disease, blindness, deafness and many others. It provides a dream come true for children that may be turned away from other wish-granting organizations that require a life-threatening or critical diagnosis. Sunshine Foundation relies on the generosity of donations from individuals and organizations to make these dreams a reality.
The Interact Club’s most recent fundraising event was a movie night on Nov. 12 featuring Milen’s favorite superhero, Spiderman. Interact is an international service-learning organization affiliated with the Rotary. Money raised by the students will help answer the dream of Milen, 9, diagnosed with spina bifida. His dream is to go to Universal Studios in Central Florida to meet Spiderman.
“What makes me happy is laughing with my mom and sister,” said Milen. “I also really like going to school and learning new things. Sometimes I may need a little bit of help and I have been through a lot of surgeries, but I’m a normal kid who loves all the superheroes, especially Batman and Spiderman.”
The most common dream is to visit Disney World, Legoland, SeaWorld and Universal Studios. Sunshine Foundation also answers special dreams like shopping sprees, computers and iPads, meeting celebrities, above ground swimming pools, family trips, adaptive tricycles and other special needs equipment.
Sunshine Foundation is the original wish-granting organization in the United States, established in 1976 and continuously a top-rated charity expending over 80 percent of each dollar on programs benefiting children with severe special needs. The foundation answers the dreams of children, ages 3-18, who have severe or profound physical/developmental/intellectual challenges or trauma from physical/sexual abuse, and whose families cannot fulfill their requests due to financial strain that the child’s illness may cause. The foundation has spread sunshine into the lives of more than 41,500 children throughout the United States.
Visit sunshinefoundation.org for more information.
