Not all Take A Breather wishes are big trips; some take place much closer to home. When young cystic fibrosis patients are in the hospital over the holidays, Take A Breather tries to provide a respite there too, presenting iPads to young patients (and sometimes adult patients, too). In 2017, sixteen-year-old Steven O’Rangers was one of these iPad recipients.
A quite young man with a sweet smile, Steven appeared grateful and happy to receive his gift. When Steven received his Take A Breather wish with his grandfather nearby. Yet at the time of Steven’s presentation, Take A Breather staff were unaware that Steven’s mother had passed away after a battle with cystic fibrosis. Steven and his grandfather were touched to receive the iPad and they were touched by the gesture of support. Steven’s grandfather, Mark, wrote to Matt and Molly that “the two of you almost made me cry today when he was given the gifts from your organization. It was over and beyond my and my grandson’s dreams that someone would do this”. A Take a Breather wish can sometimes be more that just a present, it can mean a symbol of support and solidarity from those who recognize all that those with CF endure on a regular basis.
