Natasha Moore wants to make sure her sister’s wishes continue to come true.
To do so, she’s reaching out to the public for some help, asking if anyone has any old copies of the Sears’ Wish Book.
Natasha’s sister Cheyenne has Down Syndrome and the Wish Book is her most favourite thing in the world.
Cheyenne is 23 and Natasha can’t remember a time when she was without a Wish Book.
Always excited for a new one to come out, she said Cheyenne carries one with her all the time.
“It’s a pretty unique item to be attached to,” said Natasha. “It’s almost like a comfort for her.”
With her disability, Natasha said her sister has a childlike innocence. So while others may be attached to a favourite stuffy of blanket, for Cheyenne it’s the Wish Book.
And no other catalogue or magazine can replace it.
Cheyenne is active in Special Olympics, but Natasha said when she’s home on her downtime she’s either looking at her Wish Book or listening to music.
“It’s just something that keeps her occupied,” she said.
“She looks at it until the pages fall out. So they get worn out and my mom has to replace it for her.”
The Pasadena family has a little stockpile of books — currently about 10 — and as Cheyenne wears out one they’ll replace it with another. That’s something that happens about four or five times a year.
“We’ve been fortunate that we’ve had a supply the last number of years,” said Natasha.
Now that Sears is not producing them anymore the family — which includes her mom Pamela and dad Kirk — has become concerned.
“It’s to the point now that I guess our family is a little worried that we’re going to run out.”
Natasha is working in Alberta and put a post on her Facebook page asking anyone with catalogues to pass them on to her family.
“I’m sure someone, somewhere, has some lying around.”
The post has been up for about three weeks and shared around a bit with some success.
The preference is older versions as last year’s Wish Book — with its different shape and thinner pages — was not totally up to Cheyenne’s standards, but the family will take what they can get.
Natasha said this is something Cheyenne would not be able to do herself and keeping her sister happy is important for her.
“She’s my sister.”
Her plan is to give the books to Cheyenne as a surprise gift at Christmas.
Anyone with a Wish Book to pass on to Cheyenne can email Natasha at [email protected].
