By Charles Lefebvre

Children’s Wish Foundation hoping to grant local teen’s wish

Mar 4, 2019 | 2:03 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Children’s Wish Foundation is raising money to help send a Medicine Hat teenager to the biggest Monster Truck event in the world.

March is Wish Month, and the foundation is focusing on grant Daniel Bachmeier’s wish, to go see the Monster Jam World Finals.

“As soon as I met Daniel, I fell in love with Daniel,” said Donna Serr, chair of the Medicine Hat chapter of the Children’s Wish Foundation. “He’s such a special child. The thing about Daniel, he knew right away what he wanted for his wish.”

Daniel is filled with smiles, and has a personality that makes people want to get to know him.

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However, his life hasn’t always been easy. He was born three months premature following complications with his mother Liz’s pregnancy.

“I had pre-eclampsia, high blood pressure and I got airlifted to Foothills Hospital in Calgary,” said Liz Bachmeier. “Daniel was born New Year’s Eve 2005, at one pound, nine ounces, 32 grams.”

Daniel was also diagnosed with cerebral palsy after birth, which confines him to a wheelchair.

Despite his condition, he is just like any 13-year-old boy.

“He loves to swim, he loves sledge hockey, he loves meeting people, he loves going out to the Speedway,” she said.

However, monster trucks are his biggest passion. Liz says he got hooked on monster trucks through local driver Kathy Wills, who drove the TNT and Sheer Insanity Monster Trucks.

Daniel says he loves the size and the noise of the monster trucks. His favourite is Grave Digger.

Serr says the foundation is looking to raise $10,000, which is the average cost of granting a wish. The foundation pays for everything, including, flights, hotels, meals and tickets for the event.

She adds when the foundation grants a wish, it’s just as much for the parents of the child.

“Quite often, when you have a sick child, the whole dynamic changes,” she said. There’s doctor’s appointments, and there’s always things that need to be done.

“To be able to grant a family a wish, such as a trip, it just gives them some joy, it takes them away from all of the doctors appointments and such, and gives them a wonderful family time away to make memories.”

Liz says she’s hoping to make a lot of memories for her and Daniel when they go on the trip.

“It will be nice just to get away, go somewhere, and see something we haven’t seen before,” she said. “Just to see a smile on Daniel’s face is everything.”

McDonald’s locations in Medicine Hat are selling wish clouds for $2 through the month to help raise money, while Pamper My Senses Spa is donating 10 per cent from its sales in march to help make Daniel’s Wish come true.

Serr says fundraising continues through the year, and the foundation is hoping to grant 10 wishes for children in Medicine Hat in 2019.