Elizabeth City non-profit Laura’s Wish Foundation grants lifetime memories for adults who are terminally ill

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) – A non-profit in Elizabeth City is helping adults and their families across the country with terminal illnesses, escape treatments and stress. Laura’s Wish Foundation helps them check items off their bucket list.

The foundation gives families a chance to make memories together.

It all started in 2017 when founder Kimberly Ouellette’s mom was diagnosed with cancer. They planned one last family trip to Disney.

“We went, and she was just so, so happy to be there with her grandkids and her kids and her boyfriend and like this magical land,” said Ouellette.

Ouellette says after her mother passed, she remembered those moments and during the treatment, she did not have to focus on treatments or pain. It gave her something to look forward to. She created Laura’s Wish Foundation in memory of her.

“There’s so much out there for cancer research or, like, financial help, and when I did my own research, there wasn’t a lot on just like, taking people out of their world and putting them in a magical place,” said Ouellette.

The nonprofit is only a year old, but it has already helped two people. You have to be 18 years or older. If you want to fill out an application for you or someone you know, click here to learn more.

“We did a lung cancer patient. We gave her birds,” said Ouellette. “The gentleman that we sent to the Daytona 500, he was just all smiles, and they are local here to Elizabeth City. And I got videos of him dancing in the park with his grandchildren. And you can just tell that they are just living their best life.”

On Sunday, Sept. 27, Laura’s Wish Foundation is raising money to grant three more wishes. Ouellette says it would have been her Mom’s 60th birthday, and she says this is the right way to celebrate it.

“I would just love to have people show up. If we could make $5,000 that would be amazing. And that would really put us in a good spot for these three wishes that are coming up,” said Ouellette.

Those wishes range from concerts, to family trips, to checking something off their bucket list.

“We actually have three wishes we’re working on right now. We have one, a cancer survivor that wants to go to the Grand Canyon with her family. We have another cancer patient that wants to go to the summit of Mount Washington. And then there is another cancer patient that wants to go to the Scotty McCreary concert in November,” said Ouellette.

The fundraiser will be at Seven Sounds Brewery in Elizabeth City this Sunday, Sept. 29 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Click here to donate.

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