“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” – Desmond Tutu

For Jamie Holmes-Ward, her childhood and teens were marked by medical issues and at age 36, she has had more than 45 major operations that go back as far as her birth. But all of that has led her to a higher cause.

Ward was born with VATER Syndrome, which is a group of birth defects that can cause issues with the structure of your organs, including the heart, kidneys and more. But before one particularly hard surgery, before going in the operating room, Ward made a promise to herself: if she survived, she’d spend her life helping others.

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. Photo courtesy of Jamie Holmes-Ward

She survived. By the age of 17, she graduated high school and founded ‘Jamie’s Dream Team’. A nonprofit that is dedicated to making all sorts of dreams come true. “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,” Ward said.

And I just wanted to give them something that they can remember and have something to look forward to and fight for.”

From weddings to concerts, dream trips to meeting your favorite YouTube creators, it seems as if there is nothing Ward can’t make come true. At least that is how one little girl feels. Aubrey Bogacki is the only survivor of a car crash that killed her father and two siblings. Her mom, thankfully, wasn’t with the family that day.

After weeks in the hospital, as Audrey was being discharged, Ward’s nonprofit got in touch with Audrey and her mom, Nicole. It was then Ward learned of Audrey’s love of Disney World and Taylor Swift. Now, thanks to donors, the pair have tickets to see Taylor Swift in concert soon, as well as a good reminder that even after bad things, good moments can still exist.

Jamie Holmes-Ward claims her organization, Jamie’s Dream Team, has granted more than 30,000 wishes over the last two decades. Photo courtesy of Jamie Holmes-Ward

Ward said that Jamie’s Dream Team has granted more than 30,000 wishes. She said they have no plans on slowing down their work. “People take the smallest things for granted every day … and I don’t,” she said.

Ward is quick to remind people that without the many ‘generous donors’ that continually help support the nonprofit, none of what she does could be possible.

“You don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring,” she said. “You could be okay right now and not okay tomorrow.” With more people willing to help her each day, she said it reminds her of the good in the world.

“There’s so much hate and negativity in this world, but we see the best out of the people,” Ward said. “We truly see the best in people’s hearts.”

Source: People