Vermilion Parish's Becky Prejean makes dreams come true for terminally ill children

For the past 23 years, Becky Prejean has devoted her time to a Louisiana nonprofit called Dreams Come True.
This organization grants the wishes of children who suffer from life threatening illnesses. This year, Dreams Come True has increased the joy of 80 terminally ill children, by playing miracle worker to fulfill some of their last requests.
Dreams Come True of Louisiana, INC. was founded and originally fully funded by seven families from Denham Springs in the early ‘80s. It initially served the South Louisiana area, but has since extended to the entire state. With the help of the community, through donations and volunteers, Dreams Come True creates a lasting impact on the families of children with life threatening illnesses.
Becky, who is originally from Cow Island and is the daughter of Junior and Nona Prejean, was first introduced to the nonprofit through a friend in 1992. She began to attend Dreams Come True’s bi-monthly meetings, and volunteered her services in various capacities for a period of two to three years. After that point, Prejean became Treasurer for eight years, and then president for two-and-a-half years. In 2009, Dreams Come True made Becky their first full-time paid employee. She now runs the operation out of her own home.
The nonprofit organization accepts applications from the families and doctors of children whose conditions are expected to end in death. After the application is received, reviewed, and approved by the board of sixteen members, Becky Prejean goes out to interview the child in person. Once the organization is aware of the child’s requests, they begin the process of fulfilling it. Once ready, Prejean returns to deliver the package outlining what is being received.
Some wishes are delayed to wait for an improvement in the child’s condition, while others are rushed due to short life expectancy. The most common wish for younger children is a trip to Disney, while teenagers typically want an electronics shopping trip. Funding for Dreams Come True is provided through donations and fundraising, which Becky also attends to. The nonprofit allocates the same amount of money towards shopping or traveling for each child.
Prejean says the organization has evolved since she first began twenty-three years ago. “We don’t do a set amount of dreams per year, we do however many are approved. Right now, we are up to eighty dreams a year. When I started, we did about four a year. Then it gradually moved up to twelve, then twenty, and now we’re up to eighty.”
Another thing that has changed throughout the years is the number of sick children. Becky comments, “Most people are not aware that there are a lot of sick kids out there. There has been an increase in sick children across the state since I started. People will ask me, ‘Do you think it is because your name has gotten bigger?’ and yes, that does have something to do with the increase in applications; but I have asked the doctors and they are seeing more patients. There are more sick kids now.”
Throughout the years, Becky and Dreams Come True board members and volunteers have seen many heart wrenching and inspirational stories. There are some that they will never forget. Prejean reveals, “The most touching case for me was Miya from around Opelousas. She loved the Saints, and she wanted a big screen TV so the family could watch the Saints game. We shopped and gave her that. Then her condition deteriorated and she was in the hospital. These kids know; they just know when it is coming to the end. She asked her mom to call me and request a flower garden. I set an email to the clay shooters at G.O.L. Shooting in Maurice. I stated that I needed a flower garden, and that Miya only had about a month and a half to live. They came through, and finished it in time for her fifteenth birthday. She lived about a month after it was finished, and then it became a shrine. Miracles happened with her. She will always be with me.”
On the Dreams Come True website, this is written about Miya, “Miya never once complained, nor asked God ‘Why Me?’ She accepted every hurdle that was tossed her way with grace and faith and always had that glow and radiant smile. After 16 months of cancer, God decided to call her back home on May 15, 2013. Her time was up on earth, but it was just the beginning for her work in heaven. She showed many signs on earth, so we know she is a chosen one to continue doing God’s work. She will be missed so much but we are so honored that we got to meet her. She has touched many lives, even lives of people who never met her. Her last words, right before she went to meet her Maker, were ‘When I was 15, I was born.’”
Not all kids are fortunate enough to see their wishes granted. Becky recalls, “Last November, I got a dream application and the doctor requested that we send the child within three weeks. We booked a Disney trip. On a Monday morning, around 10:30am, we went to deliver the Disney packet. He was so excited; so fired up! On Tuesday morning around 3am, I got the phone call that he had passed away. We were able to refund all the money from the trip. I contacted the State Troopers, who are awesome to work with. Long story short, the money we were going to spend on his dream we were able to use to pay half of the funeral and the State Troopers paid the other half. We don’t normally pay funerals, but that was the funding from his dream that he didn’t get to go on.”
For Becky, dedicating the last two decades of her life to Dreams Come True has been a worthwhile venture. “This has changed my life a hundred percent. I take nothing for granted. Nothing. I live each day like it is my last, because you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Some of the stories I have heard from families - rushing their child to the emergency room thinking it was appendicitis and it was a brain tumor. Your life can change so quickly, so take nothing for granted and live every day like it’s your last. Reach out, share, and don’t be selfish. I have learned a lot from these kids.”
Dreams Come True holds meetings every two months which are open to the public. Anyone who is interested in volunteering or donating funds should visit their website www.dctofla.com or their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DreamsComeTrueofLouisiana .