On the Road with Henry Albert

Hello. My family and I have returned to North Carolina. While in our hometown of Lancaster, PA, my wife and I had some time to visit friends and relatives. On Saturday evening, I treated my mother to a wonderful dinner for Mother’s Day. We also had the pleasure of seeing some old friends from our high school days. We had fun chatting and joking abouth those “good ole days”. Looking back makes me wonder ” where did the years go?.” Although I was having a good time, I looked forward to Sunday when I would attend the 20th anniversay of the “MAKE A WISH” trucking convoy. Well… let me just say, I was not disappointed. In fact, words cannot express the many emotions that I experienced throughout the day. We pulled into the loading area at 9:30am. We were greeted by attendants who assisted us in parking. I was amazed at how many trucks were participating. I was told there were approx. 380 trucks. Drivers took pride in this event, as every truck appeared to be clean and polished. My family and I went directly to the registration tent. There, we signed in and were handed “MAKE A WISH” flags and banners to decorate the truck for the convoy. We elected to offer a “wish child” with special needs, the opportunity to ride in the Cascadia throughout the convoy. We were told to come back to the tent at 12:30 to meet the child and parents. The convoy was to begin at 1:30pm. We had time to walk the grounds and observe all that was happening around us. We talked with some drivers and their families. As I observed, I witnessed a community who came together to make this “one” day memorable for these special needs children. As the morning went on… more people arrived. There were clowns, games, live music and plenty of food. There was a joyful spirit in the air and many smiles to go around. The weather was beautiful and the sun was shining brightly. Childrens laughter sounded throughout the crowds. I walked through the long rows of trucks parked side by side. Some of them featured banners and pictures of children who have passed away, due to their illness. This is enough to make even the toughest of men shed tears. Did I mention, I had my darkest sunglasses on all day? The time reached 12:30 and it was time to go meet our “wish child” and parents who would ride with us for the convoy. We were greeted by a MAKE A WISH representative. She introduced us to the “Swanson” family: Kirk, Holly and Ryan. Five year old Ryan was born with only half of his heart functioning properly. He has had three major surgeries,  beginning at 19 mo’s old. His father shared that he should live a full and healthy life.  He had blonde hair and wore red spiderman sunglasses. His parents explained that he was a bit shy. I suggested we go to the truck and get Ryan familiar prior to the start of the ride. His Dad, Kirk lifted him up into the truck. He immediately took the driver seat. I showed him the air horn, which he blew many times with smiles and laughter after each loud blow. Ryan was amazed at the technology and buttons on the dashboard. He liked the refrigerator and slide out desk. I pulled the top bunk down and his eyes lit up. He was going to get up there! While in the bunk, he enjoyed peeking  out of the windows. He told us he saw a bird fly by. After about ten minutes, this shy little boy became very comfortable with us. He even offered to show us his surgery scars. He then shared his experiences with us, in regards to his heart. At that moment, I knew we were friends.  It was 1:30 and time for all the trucks to roll out. Ryan sat on his father’s lap and buckeled in for the trip. The route extended from Lancaster, through Ephrata and back. We rode approximately 26 miles. The crowd lined streets along the parade route were incredible! It was overwhelming to witness how many people came out to show support for this magical event. As we drove by, the crowds cheered, clapped and waved flags in support. ”On this day, I was proud to be a truck driver.” At the end of the ride, Ryan was tired from the long day. We took some pictures, exchanged addresses and phone numbers with Kirk and Holly. My wife bought a teddy bear for Ryan to take home. Ryan gave us hugs and thanked us for a great day. If anyone has the opportunity to participate in such an event, I can tell you,  it is truely a rewarding experience… life changing. I honestly, feel that these “special children” give more back to us, than we could ever give to them.

Henry Albert

*FYI: This year’s MAKE A WISH convoy raised funds to grant 100 wishes to “special needs children”.

*Ryan was granted his “wish” to go on a Disney Cruise through the” MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION”.

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