Fundholders Make Wishes Come True

June 19, 2020

Brady Bradshaw doesn’t just like sharks. He LOVES them.

“My favorite shark would pretty much be the Mako shark,” said the 9-year-old on a toasty summer day at the Abilene Zoo.

It was on this day that he met Caroline Haney, a girl his age with whom he quickly formed a unique bond.

“We’ve both been through similar things, and it’s just nice to know someone else knows what you’re feeling,” said Caroline.

Brady lives with a congenital heart defect, and Caroline has fought a battle with cancer. Both have had wishes fulfilled by Make-A-Wish. Caroline went to Disney World, and Brady went to Disney World to – you guessed it – swim with sharks.

“I wanted to swim with any shark. I didn’t care what it was!”

CFA arranged for Caroline’s family to meet Brady and his family because of a connection the two didn’t even know they shared. Mike and Julie Denny, Caroline’s grandparents, have a donor-advised fund at CFA.

Inspired by Caroline’s journey, the Dennys have recommended grants from their fund to Make-AWish, thus supporting wishes like Brady’s.

“I know what Brady has been through and what Caroline has been through,” said Mike Denny. “It’s an important thing to us and pretty emotional.”

Swimming with sharks was an experience Brady will never forget, and it meant more to him than the sheer thrill of it.

“What has inspired me throughout this process is that Make-A-Wish has given other children and me possibilities to have a dream to see this or that, something that they want.”