Grace Jacoby - Member Class 2021
“A spark of hope changes everything.” This is the founding principle of our philanthropy, Make-A-Wish. Make-A-Wish exists to grant wishes for children diagnosed with critical illnesses. Their mission is to allow children to rediscover hope when they need it the most.
Wow, can I attest to the impact of that mission. In 2013, my brother, Kye, was diagnosed with a terminal disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This diagnosis stripped him of so many of the hopes and dreams he had for what he thought his future would look like, causing him to slowly lose mobility and strength. When Kye felt like he had reached his lowest point, Make-A-Wish came alongside him and my family, sending us on the trip of a lifetime and providing support and community in the years to come. They reminded us that joy is possible even in the hardest circumstances. And, more importantly, they allowed Kye to find hope when he needed it the most.
Supporting Make-A-Wish is my favorite part of being a Chi Omega because I’ve had the opportunity to see the spark of hope in the eyes of kids who thought they had none left. I have witnessed pure joy in the midst of hardship and the realization that dreams can still come true. I’ve seen the power of community and the impact of encouragement.
Being a Chi Omega has given me a front row seat to watching lives be changed the same way that my brother’s did. I have been so blessed to have the opportunity to give back to an organization that has made such an impact on so many lives alongside the friends I’ve found in Chi O.
As a chapter, we have the opportunity to support Make-A-Wish through raising money to fund wishes and be involved in granting local wishes. This past fall, we had the opportunity to celebrate Kodye and encourage her family. We got to cheer her on outside Target before she got to go on a fully funded shopping spree.
It’s those moments, however small they might feel to you and me, that will impact her forever. She is going to treasure that feeling of love and support for the rest of her life, the same way my brother has. What a gift it is to share that kind of mission with each other. Through Make-A-Wish, we have the opportunity to be a part of the “hope that changes everything.”
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