Giving hope to kids facing critical illness

Every 20 minutes a child is diagnosed with a critical illness – like 5-year-old Ellah, who has been fighting lung cancer since birth, 13-year-old Noah, who was diagnosed with a debilitating endocrine condition at a young age, or 6-year-old Stella, who’s experienced seizures from epilepsy since the first year of her life.

“One uplifting moment can help a child believe anything is possible.”

– Matthew Poulin, Agency Principal, Reliable Insurance Solutions

Reliable Insurance Solutions agency principal Matthew Poulin knows first-hand that staying hopeful can make a difference to a child facing severe illness. When his son was diagnosed with meningitis at just three weeks old, he did all he could to help his son recover. Since that time, Poulin has volunteered with Make-A-Wish New Hampshire to bring hope, strength and joy to more severely ill children.

“One uplifting moment can help a child believe anything is possible,” says Poulin. “I’ve been involved with Make-A-Wish for over 30 years because they give struggling families in our community hope to persevere through the darkest times.”

Granting wishes, transforming lives

The organization grants heart-felt wishes that are as unique as each “wish kid” — from the kid who longs for a magical trip to Disney World, to the one who dreams of digging for dinosaur fossils, to the aspiring young writer who wishes to have her book published.

On average, Make-A-Wish New Hampshire grants 80-90 wishes a year, approximately one wish every four days. To help make more wishes come true, Poulin encourages Reliable agency staff to volunteer alongside him at the many fundraising activities for Make-A-Wish, like golf tournaments, rafting events and donor breakfasts. The whole agency has been involved in fundraising, demonstrating their commitment to giving back to their community.

“Thanks to the staff at Reliable Insurance, we can grant more life-changing wishes, transform lives and ultimately transform our entire community.”

– Julie Baron, President and CEO, Make-A-Wish New Hampshire

The funds raised allow the many volunteer wish granters, including Poulin, to in turn do good work throughout New Hampshire. So when Poulin isn’t helping to raise funds, you can likely find him donating his time helping to grant wishes — like the time he helped construct a bridge to a child’s wished-for play house.

“Thanks to the staff at Reliable Insurance, we can grant more life-changing wishes, transform lives and ultimately transform our entire community,” says Julie Baron, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish New Hampshire. “We couldn’t do that work without the commitment and passion of our local volunteers.”

A wish can change everything

A wish can be the spark that helps a kid believe anything is possible — 97 percent of wish alums say their wish made them more joyful and hopeful for the future. According to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, wishes granted give wish kids the strength to fight harder against their illnesses and can create better health outcomes.

Help kids find strength and hope

A Make More Happen award will help Make-A-Wish fund more wishes for New Hampshire kids diagnosed with critical illnesses. Help Reliable Insurance Solutions win $10,000 for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire by clicking the vote button. Get them an extra vote by cheering them on in the comments below by Aug. 31, 2023.