Yahoo Lifestyle Real-Life Fairy Godmother Says She Has Granted Over 30K Wishes, Including for a Sole Survivor of Tragic Crash (Exclusive)
“People take the smallest things for granted every day … and I don't,” Jamie Holmes-Ward tells PEOPLE
Courtesy of Jamie Holmes-Ward
Jamie Holmes-Ward, the real-life fairy godmother who says her nonprofit, Jamie's Dream Team, has helped grant more than 30,000 wishes for people in need.Jamie Holmes-Ward says she has helped over 30,000 people in need fulfill their wishes since she started her nonprofit Jamie's Dream Team in 2005 — including Aubrey Bogacki who lost her dad and siblings in a July crash
"I just wanted to give [people] something that they can remember and have something to look forward to and fight for,” Ward tells PEOPLE
Bogacki, 11, is set to attend a Taylor Swift concert and receive a trip to Walt Disney World —all thanks to Jamie's Dream Team
Three months ago, life drastically changed for Aubrey Bogacki, an 11-year-old girl who survived a tragic car crash that killed her dad and two siblings.
Enter Jamie Holmes-Ward, a real-life fairy godmother of sorts, who tells PEOPLE she started the organization Jamie’s Dream Team in 2005 to help “those who are suffering from a medical condition, trauma, or tragedy.”
The nonprofit's goal is to “help as many families and touch as many families as we possibly can” by granting their wishes during their time of need," she adds.
As of today, Jamie’s Dream Team has granted more than 30,000 wishes nationwide, according to Ward. And she has no plans of slowing down.
“People take the smallest things for granted every day … and I don't,” she tells PEOPLE.
Courtesy of Jamie Holmes-Ward
Jamie Holmes-Ward started her nonprofit organization, Jamie's Dream Team, in 2005 when she was 17 years old.Ward, 36, is familiar with the obstacles facing many of the people she helps. She was born with VATER Syndrome (also known as the VACTERL association), a set of birth defects that can affect multiple anatomical structures inside the body, including the heart, kidneys, limbs, vertebrae and more.
As a result, Ward has had over 45 major operations since birth. At age 15, before one of her surgeries, she promised herself that if she survived, she wanted to find a way to help other people.
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Two years later, when she was 17, Ward graduated high school and founded her organization.
“Being in the hospital for so long and being sick for your whole life, you know what it's like and what these families go through,” she tells PEOPLE. “And I just wanted to give them something that they can remember and have something to look forward to and fight for.”
Courtesy of Jamie Holmes-Ward
Jamie Holmes-Ward claims her organization, Jamie's Dream Team, has granted more than 30,000 wishes over the last two decades.Jamie’s Dream Team has helped make all sorts of dreams come true, from weddings, trips, concerts, parties and more. Earlier this year, one boy, who recently died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, got a chance to meet YouTube creators Leonhart and PrestonPlayz during a trip to Dallas.
The nonprofit also runs a program called "A Christmas to Remember," where kids are brought to a local airport to see Santa Claus arrive on a helicopter before getting 10 special gifts of their request and then having “a huge party."
But for Aubrey — the sole survivor of a July car crash that killed her father, Nathan Bogacki, 44, and two siblings, Emma Bogacki, 17, and Grant Bogacki, 13 — the organization had two special treats in store: seeing Taylor Swift in concert and a visit to Walt Disney World.
Aubrey spent nearly three weeks in the hospital with an array of serious injuries. Since then, she and her mother Nicole, who was not in the car at the time of the crash, have been living with Nicole’s parents, where they receive constant support from them, other loved ones and even members of the community — including Jamie’s Dream Team.
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Aubrey Bogacki, the 11-year-old who survived a crash in July that killed her father and two siblings.The nonprofit connected with the Bogackis before Aubrey left the hospital on Thursday, Aug. 8. That’s when they learned about her love for Swift.
With some help from the nonprofit’s donors, Aubrey and her mom now have tickets to attend the singer's Eras Tour concert in Indianapolis on Sunday, Nov. 3 — and they are thankful for the generosity. “
They have been absolutely amazing,” Nicole tells PEOPLE.
Meanwhile, Ward hopes Aubrey will get a chance to meet Swift in person. “Make her know that she is loved by somebody that she loves,” she told NBC affiliate WPXI in August.
With Aubrey still on the mend, her trip to Disney World — funded by Jamie’s Dream Team — has been postponed until the spring. She recently had a back brace removed but still needs to wear her neck brace for another six weeks and clearance from her neurosurgeon.
Courtesy of Jamie Holmes-Ward
Jammie Holmes-Ward says none of the wishes would be granted without the support of the many “generous donors” who regularly step up to help.None of these wishes would be granted without the support of the many “generous donors” who continually support Ward's organization — and she's eager to continue fulfilling as many wishes as possible in the years to come.
“You don't know what tomorrow's going to bring,” she tells PEOPLE. “You could be okay right now and not okay tomorrow.”
And every day, more people are stepping up to help.
“There's so much hate and negativity in this world, but we see the best out of the people,” she adds. “We truly see the best in people's hearts.”
