Category: 2021

Wendi Taylor is currently battling cancer for the third time over the last 10 years. This battle isn’t going as well as the other two did. She has been hoping to take her 11yr old son to a Disney theme park as a family vacation. They are a family of three and have never really left state for a family vacation. She would love to see him smile and give him a great time to remember and to hopefully have some time with no worries of cancer.

Wendi and her family are being sent to Disney Discovery Cove in Orlando, with 5 nights at Residence Inn at Sea World. They will also get to swim with the dolphins!

 

Rebecca lives in Ohio and would love to see her daughter Holly, who lives in California.  We are sending a gift card to cover a bus ticket so that Holly can go visit her mother.

Billy and his wife will be celebrating their 10-year wedding anniversary on June 19th.  They got married in their living room with her step-dad officiating the ceremony and her mom was the witness. They didn’t even have a cake or flowers but it was beautiful they cherish the memories.

Billy has stage IV metastatic colon cancer with suspected active disease elsewhere as well. He was just admitted to in home hospice and wants nothing more in this world than to get to make it to renew their wedding vows.  The family has secured a venue in Greenville South Carolina but making it happen on short notice, during the pandemic and with limited resources is proving difficult.

Stella’s Wish Foundation is sending them a $500.00 gift card to help pay for food for a party at which they will renew their wedding vows.  They expect 40 people to attend.

 

Dawn Holt has been battling colon cancer for 6 years and is a courageous fighter. She was diagnosed after finding the cancer in her lungs and learning that it had originated in her colon.

Since her diagnosis she has had numerous surgeries and treatments. She has endured over 100 chemo treatments. Over 100!!!! On her 100th treatment she had stickers made to help others learn and be aware of colon cancer symptoms and to remind everyone to get checked. She is always thinking of others. She uses her story to raise awareness and to encourage others.

Dawn is a teacher. She spent years of her life teaching band and instilling a love of music with her students. Encouraging and educating. Cancer took her out of the classroom because of the toll it has taken on her body and stamina, but she is still a teacher. She continues to educate and encourage using her life experience.

Dawn’s wish is to take her husband Tim and son Evan on a family vacation. They would love to visit the Florida Gulf and Universal Studios before their son transfers to a college across country. Living in the Midwest makes a trip like this truly a wish and a dream.

Stella’s Wish Foundation is sending Dawn’s family and two friends to Westgate Palace Resort, just next to Universal Orlando Resort™.

 

Chris Moreno was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer (astrocytoma,wild type). He has been given a life expectancy of 14 months. No health history. He had just turned 40 years old. This is a man that doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke-just works to provide for his family! It’s heartbreaking and unfair.  Chris is the most positive person. He has been a light of hope for many. He has finished round two of chemo and actually awaiting results from molecular testing from another neurological oncologist that specializes in his rare brain cancer.

Chris and his wife met in high school and have three children ranging from 13 years old to 18 months. They were living in Florida, but recently moved back to a Kansas Citysuburb to be near their family for support and help during the unknown. The financial hit on their family and transition has been hard.

Stella’s Wish Foundation has granted Chris and his family a trip to Branson, Missouri with a hotel for 5 days, Silver Dollar City tickets and $300.00 gift card to help with trip expenses.

Carmela ‘Cammy’ Hipp is about to turn 45 and up until now has had many people in work, in her personal life, and in her social life depend on her. She has been an anchor for her family, and continues to be an inspiration to others as she is always working to better herself. She is a different person because of her willingness to take responsibility in her own life. For many years now, she has given back to the community by helping others learn to do the same. She says it like it is and shows up when people need her. She gives her time and energy to support neighbors, friends, drug addicts, divorcees, and her friend says “she is truly the person I’ve witnessed the most personal transformation in through life. She simply is a blessing to all those who cross her path! ”

Cammy wished to visit Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, which is an upscale restaurant that she has never been to.

Stella’s Wish Foundation is granting Cammy’s wish and will be sending her a gift card to cover a nice dinner out at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.

 

 

Chandra Goodman was originally diagnosed with breast cancer at age 26 (9 years ago). She has battled it 4 times and this time is has progressed to stage 4 and into leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, which is terminal and has stats of 3-6 months to live. Chandra has a beautiful 11-yo daughter and an amazing husband and they would love a no-stress getaway.

Stella’s Wish Foundation is granting Chandra’s wish by helping them with accommodations as a place near where they live, Enchantment Resort & Spa in Sedona, Arizona. Colleen Corey donated $150 to help with this wish.

Marianne Wyatt is fighting stage 4 cancer. Her sister says she is a classic soccer/band mom and is over-the-top-sad about leaving this world and not being with her boys.  They planned a family vacation to Florida to have quality time with her family and are taking it sooner after a recommendation from her doctor.  Her husband and two boys, as well as her parents, sisters and nephew are all planning to go and have arranged a place to stay, but the family asked for help with plane tickets to fly her family of 4 there plus a rental car with capabilities to rent a motorized scooter for her to try and enjoy doing things with her boys and not get so wiped out.  Their wish was granted and Stella’s Wish Foundation helped with airline tickets for her immediate family. They had to cut the trip short because Marianna was in too much pain, but they got to Universal Studios.

 

 

 

Leona was just diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. She loves her family the most and wishes to have a family get together one last time.  Stella’s Wish Foundation is granting her wish and having a BBQ dinner catered for the family.

Matt Loede has Stage 4 lymphoma and after a nearly 2-year battle, which included 26(!) rounds of chemo, doctors have told him it has spread too much to ever see remission. Matt is a pretty well-known and very much loved local sports reporter in Cleveland, and many local news outlets and papers have written about him.

Matt’s friend suggested that he would love a short video message with words of encouragement to keep fighting and not to give up from his idol Dwayne The Rock Johnson. Matt is a big pro wrestling fan and draws inspiration from him daily. This would “send him over the moon and really lift his spirits during these tough times, especially as he is also currently fighting COVID-19 as well, which has left him locked down in his house without any visitors for nearly two weeks now.”

The links below are more about Matt’s fight.

Feb 2021 – Cleveland Plain Dealer: https://www.cleveland.com/news/2021/02/someone-close-has-cancer-what-to-do-a-prayer-and-a-dog-helps-terry-plutos-faith-you.html

Feb 2020 – WNEP: https://www.wnep.com/article/life/heartwarming/cleveland-sports-reporter-shares-story-of-cancer-fight-on-world-cancer-day/95-a5ef40bf-1c9d-4d11-a898-9b3ec868b920

Feb 2020 – WKYC: https://youtu.be/GaJrB0BRuIQ

Stella’s Wish Foundation granted this request and was able to reach Dwayne The Rock Johnson, who sent an encouraging video just for Matt!

 

I can’t thank you all enough for making this happen for my best friend Matt, I’m deeply touched and blessed that you were able to make such an amazing wish come true!

If you only knew how much joy this video brought to Matt tonight (and will continue to bring him) especially during an extremely difficult past few weeks and days. I know that seeing this video with such an amazing message from the incredible person that Dwayne Johnson is, has certainly lifted Matt’s spirits and inspired him to keep fighting, against all odds, to continue to bring joy into all of the lives of the people around him. He’s literally the best person I know and it breaks my heart to see him and his family have to face something some dark and terrifying. 

Thank you thank you thank you again for giving Matt something that he will take with him on the rest of his journey and bring a smile to his face during the dark times. 

Thank you again with all my heart, 

Lindsey Foltin