Behind The Wish - Whitney Williamson

I work in renewable energy for Synergy, our electricity provider here in Perth. I work in community engagement, so it’s my job to understand what the community wants.

I see myself as a conduit between the community and the provider developing wind farms, solar farms, and batteries to ensure the community gets what they want.

My previous work was in public transport, building rail infrastructure which is obviously pretty important too for a sustainable environment.

My main driver for working in those fields is that I am doing a job that is contributing to society.

One of the areas that needs the most attention at the moment is climate change. I would like there to be a world still in a couple of generations' time.

I joined Make-A-Wish in 2011 when I was 21 years old.

I was working for a stockbroking firm which was not giving me the fulfilment I needed and, as I have discovered, it’s important for me to do a job that’s contributing to society.

I needed to do something that was giving back to society.

I started looking at homeless shelters or soup kitchens I could volunteer my time to.

Then I started thinking of not-for-profits and I remembered when I was at primary school, one of my very good friends got a wish. And her wish was to go to the Gold Coast. And I remember the impact that had and still has on her family.

Sadly, she passed away, but I still speak to her mum and they still have that really special family memory from the Gold Coast.

I knew the impact a wish can have – even decades later - so I thought I should be a part of Make-A-Wish.

My first role in the Branch was PR Coordinator, which is now communications. I have been President. I am currently Communications Coordinator and Volunteer Care Coordinator.

I was also the state representative for the President’s Representative Committee, which met twice a year.

At the end of the day, I just want to grant as many wishes as possible. And to do that you need to fundraise. Fundraising is not for everyone, but you just contribute to the Branch when and how you can.

For me there are three pillars to being a volunteer. There is obviously the wishes and that’s the fun part, there is the fundraising so we can grant wishes, and then there’s promoting Make-A-Wish which is important as the more people who know what we are doing, the better.

There are some misconceptions that I try and correct. A lot of people think Make-A-Wish grants wishes for dying children and that’s a problem because it stops people applying for a wish. It’s a huge issue if a child is eligible for a wish but the parents think their child is not dying so they won’t get a wish.

People say you’re so good for volunteering and I am like, ‘I grant wishes for kids’. It’s not exactly like I am building a house or planting trees. It’s fun.

When you are in the volunteering space, you realise that you’re not special or anything because you are surrounded by so many generous people. They say you should surround yourself with people you want to be like, right? That’s what is good about Make-A-Wish.

Levi’s wish was really special. Levi is joy in a person. He’s just a beautiful human being, and so is his mum. And anyone who steps inside Levi’s world can’t help but feel his aura.

His smile is so genuine and contagious. Literally, I get goosebumps thinking about him.

It was a really special wish because it required the community to come together for it.

He got a cubby house. He had accessibility needs so he had to have a special cubby house where he could enter with his wheelchair and a special swing that he could swing on and be safe. It wasn’t necessarily easy for head office to find the right cubby house that would suit.

Because Levi (pictured) was non-verbal and had minimal mobility in his arms and legs, sensory things are important to him and that’s where he gets a lot of joy - from touching.

The Augusta community my Nan lives in donated fabrics to her that were leftover and sensory.

My nan then made this beautiful wall hanging for inside the cubby that Levi could touch and stroke.

Some of them were crinkly and made noises when touched.

There were some signs we wanted to put up in the cubby, so one of our volunteers came with his drill and we put up a ‘Levi’s Cubby’ sign.

The family was just so grateful.

What Make-A-Wish does is more than just the one day of the wish.

I think of Levi’s smile and his wish is so much more than a smile. I think there’s a reason we want a long anticipation phase and that’s because the anticipation is the important bit.

They get a Wish Coin and we tell them to take that coin into their medical appointment and think about their wish or imagine the moment they are on their wish.

The anticipation is really key but afterwards is important too. Like I said, my friend who had her wish two decades ago: the wish is still being felt by her family.

For me, it is so much more than smiles on faces. I believe that to help fight a physical illness, it’s extremely helpful to be mentally strong. And Make-A-Wish has nothing to do with illness.

Your wish has to be something completely separate from your illness. So, when you think about your wish, it has nothing to do with your illness. That is what helps build that mental resilience and that’s why I think an essential ingredient of a treatment plan should be a wish.

I have got so many genuine, tangible benefits from volunteering for Make-A-Wish.

I started when I was 21. I started a degree in communications and at the same time became the Communications Coordinator for my Branch.

I managed a Facebook page and other things, so I already had experience in communications when I was applying for jobs, thanks to Make-A-Wish. So that was really tangible, it was a step above all the other graduates I was competing against.

Then I became Branch President, so at the age of 23 or whatever it was, I had management experience. I was managing a team of 50 volunteers. And if you think managing staff is hard, well you can’t fire volunteers!

That gave me incredible leadership experience I would never have got at such a young age.

But even more tangible than that, I met a fellow volunteer - who I am still very good friends with today - and she offered me an internship.

I then worked there for seven years and this person and that opportunity has been instrumental in my career and where I am today.

I don’t think I would be in this current job with this experience if it wasn’t for the opportunities Make-A-Wish has given me.

In fact, another volunteer I met really early on in Make-A-Wish, he’s been a more personal/professional mentor for the last decade. I think those two people have been so instrumental in the development of my career.