by Miranda G. McLeod
Staff Writer
Stefanie Hobbs’ dream in August 1999 was to get her family away from the hospital where she had been staying for months.
A trip to Honduras to kiss the dolphins could have been the last trip she would ever take because her body was weak from leukemia. But Hobbs survived her battle with cancer and is now working as a receptionist for the nonprofit organization that fulfilled her desire for the open seas: Dreams Come True.
The late Thomas R. McGehee, chairman of the board of Mac Papers, and his wife Delia founded Dreams Come True in 1984, the only local nonprofit wish group that helps children with life-threatening illnesses in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. To date, Dreams Come True has fulfilled 1,800 dreams.
Dreams Come True’s mission statement states that “the majority of the youngsters yearn for a trip to Disney. No child should pass away without experiencing the magical worlds of Disney. An escape to a fantasy world for six days of captivating thrill with all expenses paid is the perfect respite from the battles of chemotherapy and radiation.”
“Dreams Come True is helping kids remember that they’re kids, not just patients,” said Hobbs. “I try to be inspiration to kids who are going through the same thing, letting them know they can get through it.”
The dreamers, parents and doctors often write letters of thanks to Dreams Come True. One child wrote, “Sometimes you wonder if people really understand what it means to be a special child. I can’t talk or walk, I have a trach, seizures, cerebral palsy, G-tube and severe brain damage so I have limitations that normal children don’t have... Dreams Come True gave me the opportunity to be like everyone else and enjoy the world...for once I felt that I am not alone.”
Another child wrote a letter thanking Dreams Come True and sent a $450 donation. “I would like it to be used to help Dreams Come True fill a child’s dream no matter what it is. This is all my own money...none of it has been borrowed from anyone or any place.” This child died of cancer 25 days after writing her letter.
Laine Silverfield, chairwoman of Dreams Come True, admits there are times when it gets difficult, but she doesn’t stay upset for too long.
“(We have) derived strength in knowing there is another child who has a dream,” said Silverfield.
She has been working at Dreams Come True since 1988 and has a true commitment to her profession.
“This job is joy in its purist form,” said Silverfield. “People don’t leave Dreams Come True. It’s who you are. It’s what you are when you wake up and go to bed. You live a dream. It’s not a job, it’s a calling.”
Silverfield has been instrumental in dreams ranging from calling U2 frontman Bono to calling former President George Bush as well as arranging a dreamer to go to the Vatican to meet Pope John Paul II.
“Each dream is unique and special and each child is our favorite,” said Silverfield.
Each dream requires approximately $4,500 and all the money is donated. From spending money to transportation, Dreams Come True covers it all. Most children want to go to Disney’s Give Kids the World, a facility for children with special needs and their families.
No matter the cost, however, Silverfield says they have never turned down an eligible child. Those eligible are children two-and-a-half through 18 years old with life-threatening illnesses. They are referred by their physicians and must live in or be treated in Northeast Florida or Southeast Georgia.
Dream Coordinator Brandi Cook goes to area hospitals once a week.
Most children are referred from oncology and neurology. Cook says she works with doctors to know the best time to make a dream happen.
“We try to get them done as soon as possible,” said Cook. “Kids are amazing and they drive you to work as hard as you can. This is the fun part of their illness. We want to be part of what makes them happy — we want to be better than medicine.”
Dreams Come True is headquartered in Southpoint and allows its facility to be used by other nonprofit organizations.
“It’s nice to be able to give back to the community,” said Silverfield. “It’s a miracle every day because the business community of Jacksonville has enabled us to make the strides we have.”