A 3-time cancer survivor’s journey to help ‘Wish Kids’

April is World Wish Month. WTOP has teamed up with Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic to spotlight the amazing kids and volunteers who help make their wishes come true.

Howard County, Maryland’s BJ Radhe devotes a lot of time to Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that so many of the “Wish Kids” can relate to Radhe; he has walked the same type of hospital halls to treatment as them.

At the age of 23, Radhe was diagnosed with stage four cancer.

“I had Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” Radhe said. “I beat that, and about three years later, I was diagnosed with cancer again. I got a stem cell transplant. Ten years out, I got cancer again.”

Radhe said the last diagnosis “was a little different” because he had a wife.

“I always wanted to fight, but just knowing others are involved,” Radhe said. “Even during that time, I still continued to try to work and push and spread good news to people about what’s going on.”

For over five years, Radhe has helped with the Wish Ball, chaired its golf classic at the Baltimore Country Club and visited Wish Kids in hospitals with his trusted companion and service dog, Lily.

“I think it is a little bit of a therapy for me,” Radhe said. “I want to give back, to show people that, ‘Hey, I’m here, and if you have questions for me, I’m willing to help out.'”

During a Make-A-Wish open house at WTOP, 11-year-old Wish Kid Bobby Mork met Radhe and smiled when he laid eyes on Lily.

As soon as Radhe shook Mork’s hand he gave him Lily’s leash.

While the group was given a tour around the “Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center,” Lily stayed right by Mork’s side.

“Seeing these kids, like just meeting Bobby today, or Sophia, you see that like even on their darkest days, they always have that smile.” Radhe said. “They have that smile for what Make-A-Wish has given back to them.”

If you would like to help keep the smiles on Wish kids’ faces visit DMVWishes.org.