20-03-2025
Dandridge teen granted wish to help others at East Tennessee Children's Hospital
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — For Make-A-Wish recipients, a wish can be a turning point in their treatment, but one Dandridge teen wished a little differently, looking to help other children battling critical illnesses.
Ty Collins is a 13-year-old who has battled pulmonary hypertension, a condition that impacts the heart and lungs. About two years ago, he had surgery and there was one thing that really helped him through the process.
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'The wish I had was like 'I'm gonna help other people.' Being at the hospital, it's not fun. It's not good. It's not anything anyone wants to do.' Collins said. 'What really helped me through it was my dad brought an Xbox and we plugged it up to the TV so I could play games on it, and I did. So that helped a lot. It passes time.'
He said when it came to his wish, he couldn't think of anything that would last a while, but he could use his wish to make an impact.
Collins wished to give the East Tennessee Children's Hospital an XBOX One Gamers Outreach Kart that is built specifically for hospitals. On Wednesday, his wish was granted by Make-A-Wish East Tennessee, and he unveiled the new console at ETHC.
He added that while life can be difficult, he hopes the console can help make it 'all that little bit better' for other children.
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While Collins's wish is going to help other children, the East Tennessee Children's Hospital's Child Life Therapy Team presented Collins with a goodie bag with a few items as a thank you.
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