Our first Wishes story

There are always challenging times in life. Pressures from your job, family, homework. But it's how we face those challenges that sets us apart.

A Camden family is gracefully struggling with multiple adversities. So we went to the community and asked for help to make some of their wishes come true.Spend anytime with Melissa Curtis and her five girls, ages six, twelve, thirteen, fourteen and eighteen and you just might envy their strong bond, their love for one another and their positive attitudes.

As they play cards around the kitchen table it all looks like good times and fun. But, what you can't see at a glance are the challenges these girls face. Five years ago, Melissa left an abusive relationship. Her parents took them in despite the strain on their finances and a small home.

Ted Cox, Melissa's father remembers what he said to his daughter. "Four or five inches of snow on the ground, you can't stay in the snow. So you have to come over and sleep on the floor if you have to you. And that's what they did, and they're still here." "But that's all right, we'd be lost without them." adds his wife Alice.

Then last August, Melissa learned her youngest, six-year old Hailey was suffering from kidney cancer. Everything in her world came to a halt. Including her nursing school. "It's kind of rough right now, because I can't get a job because what if she gets sick and I have to leave? The school calls me several times a week; she's tired, she's sick, she needs to come home." said Melissa Curtis.

Hailey, who has about ten percent of her hair left, her amazing smile and her freckled face takes her illness in stride. "The hair thing doesn't bother her at all. She goes to school with her hair sticking straight up. She's just proud as punch. She doesn't mind it at all." says her mother as the rest of the family and Hailey laugh. Don't forget, this is a family that can find the good in everything. Melissa is quick to point out, "We don't want to be sad and dwell on it. You just make the best with what you have and that's what we try to do." And they do it well.

Hailey loves cheerleading, and now she and her family have a little more to cheer about, thanks to the generosity of people in the community who helped with our Wishes 2 Come True campaign. On a day, the family thought I was coming over for another quick interview, we surprised them with a group of people in their front yard. All were there to help make some of their wishes come true.

One by one, the family learned how the community was helping them out. Plato's closet and once upon a child gave each child two hundred dollars to go shopping in their stores. Extreme's One Hour Heating and Air is tuning up their furnace, putting in an air purifier and paying their winter heating bills. As Melissa wiped away the tears "Thank you so much. Oh my God that's crazy." said Melissa as she wiped away her tears.

Hausfeld's Salon donated $725.00 in hair and make-up services. McCormick and Schmick's at The Greene gave the family $200.00 to dine out. Their neighbors at the Camden IGA dropped off everything they'll need for Thanksgiving dinner and more.

Hailey hugged the jersey of her favorite Bengals player Ochocinco, which was donated by Cardboard Heroes at The Greene. And when she's not wearing that, the team at Justice just for girls is providing Hailey an outfit, as is Aeropostale. Forever 21, also at The Greene provided each of the older girls a fifty dollar gift card and Brio Tuscan Grill will have them as their guest for a breakfast with Santa.

Just about then, Rowdy the Wright State Raiders mascot came walking up the street, along with head coach Billy Donlon and five Wright State Players. Wright State donated Raiders gear for the entire family as well as season tickets. But we weren't finished with their wishes yet. An anonymous donor wanted to help the family with their bills and gave one thousand dollars! Still crying, Melissa said, "Thank you. Tell them thank you."

Just as Melissa was trying to catch her breath, Tom Jackson introduced himself and said, "On behalf of Joe Johnson Chevrolet and their employees and families. We'd like to present you with a 2002 Chevy Impala." Overwhelmed, Melissa was able to pull out another positive from the day. "Through Hailey's cancer, it has brought me closer to God and God has shown me that there are so many wonderful people in this world. And that I didn't take the time to look."

Melissa plans to finish her college nursing classes she began once Hailey completes her chemotherapy in July. In the meantime, the family continues their five year wait for government subsidized housing.

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