My mother is extremely ill, she has been ill since 1989, when she was originally misdiagnosed as being a terminally ill patient. However, one year ago, my mother was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, she has not responded to any known treatments. She receives regular blood transfusions which assist with the anemia, but even blood transfusions are no longer helping the way they once did. She is more recently becoming subject to infection.

While I do not pretend to understand, I do know that her prognosis is RAEB and CMML with the median life expectancy being 10-15 months, in other words, we are closing in on the end.

My mother has had one (well a combination) wish: to fly, with her entire family to Las Vegas for a final family vacation. My husband and I have been racking our brains trying to figure out how to give her this one last wish. So what's the big deal you ask?

Well, here goes:

First to make this a family vacation we are talking 13 adults and 5 children. 11 adults and the children leaving from Buffalo, NY 2 additional adults leaving from Jacksonville, Florida. My oldest sister and her mate, the Florida couple can barely make ends meet. My sister receives SSI for a mental condition and her mate works at a minimum wage job. My middle sister lost her job when the company she worked for went bankrupt, my brother-in-law is now picking up her share of the far too many expenses they have. I have one nephew receiving SSI for a mental condition, he barely makes ends meet. Another nephew was injured at work and is receiving only 50% of the 2/3 worker's compensation, while attempting to care for his two children (he is a single parent) My children, well my daughter is a bit better off, although one year ago she and her husband purchased a house, two months ago, she lost her job due to downsizing. My son lives at home because he never kept receipts when he paid his child support (some people never learn) and is now bringing home $50 per week after past and present child support are deducted from his wages. His children spend weekends, holidays and sick time here with us. I am disabled, although I have been trying to locate some type of work, to date I have been unsuccessful, I also have no income. My husband lost his job one year ago due to downsizing, he has been able to find intermittent work to get us through, but we have been forced from time to time to dig into our savings. My mother's entire income supports her medical bills.

So, you see, the only people remotely able to make my mother's wish a reality are my husband and I. We have been contacting airlines and hotels to ask for a break, so far we have received no answers.

We need a dedicated nationwide group to start an adult wish foundation. I am not asking them to make this wish come true at their expense, just for a little cooperation so that by making the wish come true, my husband and I would not be worried as to whether or not we will still have a home upon our return.

So, if any of you good hearted citizens have time on your hand and ample physical ability, maybe you could organize such a group. I am sure that there are more persons than just my mother looking for a last wish to be fulfilled!

Have an answer? email me!