Tony Wise’s Speech on Daughter Meghan’s Treatment and the Treasure Chest Foundation’s Impact

Tony Wise

 

Thank you all for coming to the Treasure Chest Foundation's Second Annual Spring Fling.

We are the Wise family and I am Meghan's father Tony. I would like to take a quick moment to thank Colleen Kisel and her son Martin (founders of the Treasure Chest Foundation) who work tirelessly to put a smile on many children's faces, and for inviting the Wise family out to share our story of what the visits to the treasure chest did for Meghan during her treatment. In addition, I would like to also thank everyone for coming tonight in support of the Treasure Chest Foundation and for their help in the continuing effort to put a smile on a child's face, or to helping a child feel more comfortable during difficult times. Our family encountered a very uncertain time with our daughter Meghan and I would like to share our story with you.

The timetable starts in 2008 when I was stationed in Detroit, Michigan, attached to the U.S. Navy on Recruiting duty. I would make trips home on the weekend to spend time with the family and noticed that Meghan's right eyelid was getting closer to closing as the weeks went by. Though our thoughts were not at all focused on what would later turn out to be a parent's worst nightmare, there was concern over what was causing her eye to droop like that. After taking Meghan to a local eye doctor to investigate the sagging eye, he felt that it was simply a sty, prescribed an antibiotic and sent us home. As time went on the issue persisted and we then took Meghan to an eye specialist who almost immediately recognized that it could possibly be a tumor, but without a biopsy no one could be sure. When the date was scheduled for the biopsy we were praying for some good news and an answer to what was causing her eyelid to close like this. I remember that day as if it was just a dream, taking notice of all of the other families sitting in the waiting room. As we waited, I took special notice of the two small conference rooms in the left corner of the waiting room. The doctors would call your name and some folks would go to the left conference room and others would go to the right conference room. The hour it took for the biopsy seemed like a slow motion eternity, leaving us to wonder what room we would be ushered into. Our name was called, and in a matter of footsteps we found ourselves in room B where the doctor proceeded to give us the news that some of us usually hear about happening to the other guy-your daughter has a tumor. Later, through a bone marrow aspiration, we found out that Meghan had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia which is a cancer of the blood. The ensuing months and years of treatment were very emotional, and tasking. Numerous overnight stays at the hospital and weekly visits to the clinic would be the norm until Meghan's treatment was over.

Though our story as it is told seems quite dramatic, there is one thing that remained a constant ray of sunlight through all of the dark times for this child. Each time we visited the hospital Meghan would come home with another toy and it was through those toys that I saw Meghan start to accept the trip to the hospital knowing that the experience was not going to be fun. Treatment after treatment we would be sitting in the day room, or recovery room, and we would watch as a steady stream of children from all walks of life would be anxious to get into that magic closet. Inside that closet were all the gifts donated by the Treasure Chest Foundation. This was no ordinary closet; it was stacked to the ceiling with boy stuff on the right and girl stuff on the left. The ensuing trip was usually a transforming event for the children. I noticed a change in Meghan after seeing her picking out a toy and then ripping it open with excitement and joy. In this moment it was as if she was not in any pain and all things were normal. This was the same for all the children that we saw walk in to get a toy and sometimes they simply just wanted to stay and play with all of the toys.

The Treasure Chest Foundation has helped put many smiles on many children's faces and through your kindness and generosity those same children that are still in the hospital will be able to experience the same love, hope and laughter that our daughter Meghan did.