HIGHLANDS – Dreams come true, at least small ones. And for one glorious afternoon on Saturday, they did, when Dennis and Linda McGinnis of Jason’s Dreams for Kids turned Seastreak’s high-speed ferry to Manhattan into a happy, laughing, song-filled family Christmas festival for approximately 250 people.
Jason’s Dreams for Kids, Inc., is a 501(c)3 organization founded by McGinnis in memory of his nephew, Jason Douglas Creager, who died in 1992 after losing his battle with cancer. Its purpose is to grant wishes to children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses and put smiles on the faces of both the youngsters and their parents and siblings. The nonprofit organization is funded through a variety of fundraising events, as well as corporate and individual donations. The fund is subsidized by McGinnis Printing, Dennis’s company in Red Bank, which covers incidental expenses including printing, mailing and administrative costs.
Saturday’s outing to New York is an annual event of Jason’s Dreams, giving children who face regular, sometimes painful treatment over many months for many different illnesses, many different types of cancer, and many other physical or emotional problems, an opportunity for them and their families to forget, at least for a while, the trauma they are facing.
The day began in the Seastreak parking lot as each of the youngsters received a bag of gifts. Then it was on to boarding the boat, greeting friends seen more regularly in the hospital as all were undergoing treatments, meeting Santa Claus who in another life is attorney Robert Heugle of Red Bank, and simply having fun. There were tables set up for arts and crafts, with smiling volunteers ready to assist, music to enjoy, cartoons on television to watch, drinks of all varieties, three decks of the boat to explore, including the open deck on top to enjoy the cruise in almost record-breaking warmth and sunshine for a December day. At lunch, there were subs and more served on deck, followed by Christmas desserts. And through it all, Santa wandered the boat, greeting the children, taking photographs, and seeing smiles on faces more used to chemo and radiation than sunshine and laughter.
For the Kennedy family of Eatontown, it was an especially wonderful day. Patrick and Ashleigh’s daughter, Kasey, a 10 year old in the fourth grade at St. James School in Red Bank, has a condition called Chiari Malformation of the cerebellum and has visited her share of hospitals. But this was her very first boat ride and she was excited to see New York from a new and different angle. Previously, she only knew the Cornell hospital and the American Girl shop her parents had taken her to. Kasey was also sporting a pink arm cast, the result of a broken wrist she suffered three weeks ago. The family, including Kasey’s brother Kollin and 2-month old Kane, learned before the trip was over that Kasey’s wish was coming to be, thanks to Jason’s Dreams, and the family would be going to Disney World. It brought tears to the eyes of all who saw and felt the joy in the spunky youngster’s face when she was awarded the certificate announcing her dream would came true.
For Karen Salerno of Holmdel, the cruise was a time to celebrate with her son Tony, 12, and daughter, Samantha, 9. Tony is a nine year survivor of Stage 4 neuroblastoma, and has spent a good part of his life undergoing stem cell transplants, chemotherapy, radiation, and as Karen explains, “the whole shebang.” At one time, physicians had only given him a 30 percent chance of surviving. Tony’s grandparents, Betty and Eli Dworkin of Middletown, were also onboard; they had shared a lot of difficult times with the family, had taken care of their other grandchildren while Tony’s parents made the round of hospitals for treatments; they were happy to be sharing in the good times as well.
Probably the biggest smiles of the day were on McGinnis’ face as he hugged, kissed and greeted each youngster and shared in their fun. Jason’s Dreams for Kids is different from other organizations, he admits, because “I know every one of my kids. I know their birthdays, I know what’s going in their lives. I love them.”
And from the hugs he was getting all afternoon, it was obvious the feeling is mutual.
The foundation is McGinnis’ way to give back to a nephew with whom he was also a favorite, a nephew, who was 18 when he passed away, but always told his uncle “you never let me down, you were always right there with me.” That’s all McGinnis needed to launch the foundation and help other children in his nephew’s name.
Sami Bienkowski, on board with her mom and dad, Sue and Al Bienkowski of Toms River, thinks she perhaps has witnessed a miracle. The 21 year-old has been diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a bone cancer, and was only given a 20 percent chance of survival when treatment began at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). But at her last visit a couple of weeks ago, doctors were amazed to find that her cancer was in remission. It was two weeks after Sami, together with a group from CHOP, had been to see Pope Francis when the pontiff visited Philadelphia.
“Nobody can believe it,” her dad said, shaking his head, “but it’s true. And we’re taking that!”
Saturday’s trip was made possible through the cooperation of Seastreak, which has participated in the event every year, many volunteers, and many donors who simply wanted to see smiles on faces too often wracked with pain and discomfort.
Correction:The online version of this story has been corrected to reflect that Kasey Kennedy’s medical condition affects the brain, not the heart.
