In December 2005, Tommy was a sixth-grader at St. Cyril when the Philadelphia Archdiocese announced plans to shutter the financially drowning school at the end of the academic year.
Tommy was devastated. He wanted to complete eighth grade at St. Cyril with kids he'd known since kindergarten, among staff who'd seen him through medical crises he'd been lucky to survive.
Tommy has cystic fibrosis, as does his older sister, Samantha. The disease creates excessive lung mucus that must be cleared every day with various therapies. It used to kill kids before they left their teens, but children with CF now survive well into adulthood.
They're still eligible, though, to make requests from Make-A-Wish, the foundation that grants wishes to kids with life-threatening medical conditions.
So Tommy, in a breathtaking letter that reiterated his belief in a merciful God, asked Make-a-Wish for $350,000 to keep St. Cyril's school alive for two more years. His parents, Dan and Connie, helped him address the letter, but every word was his own.
His request was beyond the ability of Make-a-Wish to grant. But folks at the charity were so moved by the poignant letter, they leaked it to the press. The resulting publicity galvanized hundreds of parishioners and school alums who'd felt helpless to save their sweet little school.
They held dance-a-thons and sports tourneys, pizza sales and raffles, each generating momentum that inspired communities beyond St. Cyril to help fulfill a faith-filled child's fervent wish.
I followed Tommy's mission in this column, and it was a joy to watch the people of St. Cyril take ownership of what they cherished.
"We should've been doing this years ago," a church member told me. "We've been so energized!"
