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'Walk For Wishes' Raises Money For Critically Ill Children Downtown

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The "Walk For Wishes" event was held Saturday morning, to help the dreams of children with critical illness come true.

It was a chance to be a hero to a hero at the Walk for Wishes at the State Capitol.

The Make a Wish Foundation was celebrating and raising money for children with critical illnesses with a one-mile walk fundraiser.

Last year make a wish granted more than 1,500 wishes across the country wishes are real medicine.

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"Many doctors are prescribing wishes as part of their treatment protocol," said Michelle Flynn from the Make A Wish Foundation.

A protocol that had an immense effect on 14-year-old Yani Melendez. The teen was diagnosed with lupus and both of her kidneys failed. She underwent extensive dialysis and is not waiting for her wish.

In the meantime, she is living her dream as an honorary Sacramento Kings Dancer.

Katie, a local radio host of The Wake Up Call on 106.5, knows all about these special wishes. Her daughter Abbey was born with a heart condition that required multiple surgeries.

"I am the mother of a Make A Wish Kid, and so we are here to just be with all these other Wish families and all these amazing people that are in our community that care so much about these kids that have gone through a lot of stuff," Katie said.

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"I was born with half a heart," Katie's daughter Abbey said. 

Like so many families, the support from Make a Wish has filled their other half of her heart with hope.

The organizers hoped to raise $10,000 at the walk for more wishes.

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