Paul’s dream – and those who made it come true…
I arrived at Tender Loving Care Home Hospice on a socked-in, gloomy day but there was nothing but sunshine upon entering the building. Our dream recipient, Paul, was sitting in his wheelchair in the living room surrounded by his ex-wife, his mother who flew in from Dallas, his aunt who flew in from Colorado, the devoted Hospice team, and the co-star of his dream, his son, Davis.
As I sat at the table I was showered with gratitude from each family member for Dream Foundation’s “incredible gift” of making Paul’s dream come true on what has become a very momentous milestone in the family’s journey…the celebration of another birthday for Paul.
Dream Foundation was first introduced to Paul by his social worker, Valerie Annese, and his devoted nurse, Kathy Bradford, both from Tender Loving Care Home Hospice. Kathy took good care of her patient who arrived with a terminal diagnosis due to a brain tumor. She was struck by his gentle spirit, his wealth of professional accomplishments as a writer and editor, and – most especially – the depth of love he shared for his proudest life accomplishment, his son.
Over the course of a few months, Kathy volunteered to write down all of Paul’s fatherly memories and insights so that Davis could still receive his dad’s guidance even after he passed. Among the memories Paul shared was the special connection he and Davis had formed around the Harry Potter books and movies. He felt that these experiences strengthened the father-son bond, especially as their lives have been uprooted by cancer.
That is how Paul came to share with Kathy his one final wish before he died: to view the last Harry Potter movie with Davis. With Paul being too ill to visit the movie theater, his nurse appealed to Dream Foundation to help bring the movie to him.
Our initial request to Warner Bros. Pictures was declined because of an existing corporate policy that restricts philanthropic support to children organizations only. That’s when we contacted our always-reliable champion of dreams, Jeff Bridges. A member of his team explained that although Jeff was on location, he’d certainly want to help in any way he could. In the meantime, another member of Jeff’s team, Naomi Reeves, heard about the dream and phoned my office offering her support.
This past year Naomi lost her own father to cancer, and as it turns out, her father’s brother, Robert Friedman, is a founder of Summit Entertainment and a former executive with Warner Bros. He’s also known for his compassionate heart. Robert made some inquiries on Paul’s behalf, and within an hour Naomi called with good news for Dream Foundation. “My uncle made some calls. It’s going to happen,” she said. Tears and screams literally filled our office in celebration of the news.
Not only did it happen, Warner Bros. President of Distribution, Dan Fellman, coordinated a special copy of the Harry Potter film for Paul to view…and Don Tannenbaum, Senior Vice President with Warner Bros., personally delivered the film to Paul’s hospice home.
So when I shared the journey of manifesting this dream to Paul and his family on Saturday, their tears and smiles spoke more deeply then their generous words. Here was a father with a simple request, and a legion of kind hearts stepped forth to fight on his behalf… strangers and caregivers and family members. Paul was emotionally floored that all these people had backed him up. He gave me a big thumbs-up.
When Dream Foundation was formed in 1994, it was done so on the belief that anyone – regardless of age – deserves to have a final dream manifested. Not only does the dreamer benefit, so does his/her children, family members and loved-ones. Unfortunately, our organization still faces challenges in gaining the benefits and resources that are reserved solely for children organizations. I am proud of the fact that we are “everyone’s” Dream Foundation, representing all walks of life during the end-of -ife journey. As we often learn, a dream’s impact has a rippling effect. I was reminded of the lasting impact a dream had on Paul’s son when he said, “I will never forget this.”
We appreciate those who advocated for Paul and dreamers like him, and we thank Summit Entertainment and Warner Bros. for opening their hearts to the people we serve. I returned home with a full and satisfied heart as I thought about those near and far who stood by Paul’s dream.
From the heart,
Thomas Rollerson
P.S. On a separate note, just days after Paul’s dream delivery, Warner Bros. executive, Don Tannenbaum – who personally delivered the film – suffered a heart attack and is currently being hospitalized. Please send your thoughts and prayers for his health and recovery.
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