Another wish granted

Article Photos

Editor's note: Take a journey with us this holiday season as we embark on "The 12 Days of Christmas." The Sentinel will count down the days leading up to Christmas with stories of hope, inspiration and holiday cheer. Businesses throughout the Juniata Valley are sponsoring these features, which we hope will put readers in the holiday spirit.

BELLEVILLE - One Belleville boy's wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation has the potential to change his life.

Jacob Thiel asked for a brand new computer and workstation for his wish. What he got in addition was more of a chance to learn, grow and interact with his family.

Jacob's story

Judy Thiel and her husband adopted Robert - commonly referred to by his middle name, Jacob - about two years ago. Jacob, now 6 years old, suffers from a seizure disorder, Thiel said.

At the time of his adoption, Jacob was having seizures every six weeks. He was prescribed medication, she said, which has helped a lot.

"No one has been able to identify exactly what the problem is," she said. Jacob also has "profound" mental retardation, Thiel explained.

Jacob's wish

The Home Nursing Agency, run out of Altoona, helped the Thiel family contact the Make-A-Wish Foundation for Jacob's wish, Thiel said.

His wish, which was a computer and workstation, was granted to him last month, Thiel said. According to a press release from the foundation, Jacob chose an Apple iMac with a 27-inch monitor and desk chair.

"It's good stimulation with colors and sound," Thiel said about the computer and workstation.

Included in the wish are computer programs that are of interest to Jacob, she added.

Among the programs are creative projects, educational programs on animals, insects and science, coloring books, puzzles and word searches, Thiel explained. She said Jacob enjoys seeing the animals and hearing the sounds.

The wish also benefits the rest of the family, Thiel said, because it allows Jacob to have social contact and interaction with his brothers and sisters. Thiel said she is very careful when it comes to the use of computers, and intends to use them instructionally and educationally.

"Hopefully it will help him developmentally, too," she said.

Although the family still is learning how to use the programs, Jacob is enjoying his wish, and the programs help show the kids the beauty that surrounds them and how they fit into the world. Thiel said.

"Anything that can put our children in touch with God's creations (is a good thing)," she said.

The Make-A-Wish impact

Several of the family's other children also have been granted wishes by the Make-A-Wish Foundation in the past, Thiel said. She and her husband have adopted 17 children, most with medical conditions.

One of her daughters has had two liver transplants, she said. Another child has cerebral palsy and others have life-threatening syndromes. Thiel said one child's wish was made after an extended hospitalization.

The family's life was in the hospital, so when the opportunity arose for her child to be healthy enough and recovered enough to experience some of life's joys, the Make-A-Wish Foundation was there, she said.

Some of the other children's wishes have included a therapy area with equipment, a housekeeping area with materials for art projects, and a play yard that was made compatible to that particular child's limitations, Thiel said.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation gives children positive experiences that enable them to interact and have fun together, she said.

Although she and her husband have adopted 17 kids, most with medical conditions and many of those conditions severe, Jacob has been one of their most challenging children, Thiel said.

"We knew in our hearts that God was leading us to adopt him," she said.

She said she felt apprehensive when first meeting Jacob, but through trust in God and help from Jacob's school and teachers, he is making progress.

"In retrospect, those fears were so unfounded," she said.

Thiel said time and patience has helped with Jacob's progress, as well as the family's church and their faith in God.

It has been the Make-A-Wish Foundation that has made these "gifts," or outlets that have helped them through difficult times, possible, she said.

"They bring much joy into the hearts of children and their families that have been through a lot," she said.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania and Southern West Virginia is a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions, to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. For more information, call (800) 676-9474 or visit www.wishgreaterpa.org.