Dream_Foundation

“Meeting Mark Hamill was incredible. Imagine meeting your hero, and they exceed expectations. It was awesome to meet my hero and have him transform from Luke Skywalker to a real breathing dude. A dude who loves his wife and kids. Who loves hanging out with “Harrison,” who likes eating burgers—but only once a week, as his wife Marilou reminded us!” Tanner found his lifetime hero in Luke Skywalker watching “The Empire Strikes Back” as a child. As he says, “Luke Skywalker has always been my hero, guiding me through both childhood adventures and the challenges of adulthood.” When Tanner was told that he was facing the end of his life, he dreamed of meeting Mark, his ‘symbol of hope and resilience’, so he could express his gratitude for what Mark and his work meant to him. Thank you for helping us make Tanner’s Dream come true, and particularly Mark for understanding that our heroes walk by our side on the hardest journeys we face.

“We had a blast! We went to the beach, searched for seashells, relaxed, went shopping, to the Palm Beach Zoo, and (the highlight of our trip) to the Miami Sea Aquarium! The vacation was amazing, and a Dream come true. Once again, we all thank you. We appreciate all of you so very much!” Jesse was working on getting a college degree and pursuing a career as a substance abuse counselor when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He dreamed of relaxing on a Florida beach with his fiancée and daughter. Thank you to Blue Gems MGMT for helping with accommodations, Southwest Airlines and Turo for helping with transportation and our incredible supporters for your gifts that provided funds for food and fun. Team members from our partner, Genentech, delivered everything provided for Jesse’s Dream, adding their own generous gifts to make the Dream even more special.

“I cannot tell you how grateful I am for this. You will never know what it has meant to me and my wife.” U.S. Army veteran Jim dreamed of visiting Hawaii. While serving, he hoped he would be stationed there, but was posted to Germany instead. He shared, “I would like to see Pearl Harbor and honor our fallen soldiers. Most of all, it would be nice to spend some cherished time with my wife.” Thanks to Fisher House Foundation Hero Miles and Amy Shaffer for helping provide Jim and his wife Cherrie with an incredible week in Honolulu. And our friends at Gilead Sciences for delivering everything provided for Jim’s Dream. We are also grateful to the Polynesian Cultural Center for providing tickets for a tour and night-time show, and the U.S. Navy for welcoming them for a tour of the USS Arizona and Pearl Harbor Memorial.

This past weekend Major League Baseball (MLB) Chicago White Sox hosted Dream Foundation’s CEO, Kisa Heyer and staff where #WhiteSoxCharities presented Dream Foundation with an incredibly generous donation to help fulfill Dreams for terminally-ill adults diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and Dreams that involve travel. Thank you for this wonderful gift! We are grateful to be a part of the team and stand alongside fellow recipients Stand Up To Cancer, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Rush University Medical Center, and UChicago Medicine. #pancreaticcancer

On Memorial Day, we remember all those who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. And we thank all those who help make the Dreams of veterans facing the end of life possible, like Ada. Ada is a social worker who has been working with us since 2015 to make veterans’ Dreams come true. Ada has helped with several Dreams, including helping U.S. Air Force veteran Stephen reconnect with his estranged daughter, U.S. Army veteran Patricia take her Dream trip to the Grand Canyon and U.S. Navy veteran Damon introduce his son to skiing and snowboarding at Squaw Valley. Ada says, “So many of the terminally-ill veterans I see have expressed that their life has become just one doctor visit after another and feel that there can be little to look forward to. It is amazing to see how just discussing the Dream Foundation can bring a big smile to a veteran’s face. It gives them hope!” We are so grateful for our supportive community’s dedication to honoring those who have served with a final Dream!

“We wanted to thank you so much for making my Dream come true! The Grand Canyon is the most amazing place!! Every time I look at pics or think about the Grand Canyon, I have a big smile on my face! Jeep tours was great. Thank you so much for the private tour. Brad was our tour guide. He was great also and took many photos for us. Turo was awesome and Maurissa from Turo was fantastic!” Thank you to Alaska Airlines, Turo, Pink Jeep Tours and the Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel for making Jude’s Dream of visiting the Grand Canyon such an incredible Dream come true!

Eric loves working at a local restaurant, where he sings and laughs with his colleagues every day. "Eric knows how to make people laugh and is always the life of the party! He is always the first to encourage a person in need and appreciates every gift he is given, no matter how small!" Thanks to our compassionate partners, Southwest Airlines and Turo, Eric’s Dream of visiting Florida theme parks with his mom came true. Employees of our partner, Genentech, visited Eric’s home to present him with everything provided for his Dream and a generous gift of money from 18 Genentech employees to help with expenses. Tony, one of the people from Genentech, said, “My heart is so full from your generosity to total strangers. These folks needed our help, and you all came through!” After his Dream, Eric’s mom shared, “It was wonderful! It was great! His favorite part was meeting Shrek. Shrek is his favorite!”

“I just wanted to check in and say a HUGE thank you for everything you put together for us. We had a spectacular time with a lot of fun new memories … the trip was truly amazing, and we really had a great time. There were more happy tears than sad tears and a lot of fun family time. Every little thing you set up for us was absolutely perfect, down to the welcome bag in the rental car with the adorable ornament. I couldn’t say enough good things about you … Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart. My family truly needed this time together and we couldn’t have done something so amazing without you.” Thank you to Southwest Airlines, Turo, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, and all our Dream Heroes for helping make devoted mom Chelsea’s family Dream of traveling to Florida and swimming with the manatees possible, and for the toys that brought a big beaming smile to her son’s face!

Geoffrey has loved sharks since he was a small boy—so much so, he even has one tattooed on his arm! He dreamed of being able to travel to Florida to swim with them in the wild, and you made his Dream come true! Thank you to Southwest Airlines and Turo for providing transportation and rental host Andrew for helping with accommodations for Geoffrey and his brother. And thank you to Shark Tours Florida for making it possible for the pair to get up close with sharks in the open ocean! Geoffrey even celebrated his birthday onboard!

9/11 recovery worker Kim only had one regret about answering the call for help—not being able to hug the mothers searching for their children after the attacks on the World Trade Center. Watch this film by Jeff Harasimowicz for the full incredible story of an unforgettable Dream! Thank you Silverstein Properties, The Salvation Army , @911memorial , New York City Fire Department, @nycparks , #wtc, @nycsanitation,#Tunnel2Towers, Roman & Erica, Inc., Thomas Majewski, Karen Carlucci, LCSW, CPC, Dream Foundation's New York Advisory Council Jacqueline I., Jason Kra, Ph.D., Daryl Nanes, Lindsay Ornstein, Susan Teichman and National Board of Directors Marissa Freeman, and Diane & Kurt Horning for helping make this Dream possible. And thank you Jeff—we are beyond grateful for your moving film! In Loving Memory Kim Schwich 03/06/1964 – 02/28/2024