Granting Wishes

Digital printing technologies ensure that one wish comes true.

Brandt Yardley is described by those who know him as precocious, outspoken and a typical 13-year-old kid. But Yardley has led anything but a typical life. Diagnosed with a brain tumor shortly before his fourth birthday, Yardley has spent the past nine years undergoing aggressive treatment for his illness. Three surgical attempts have been made to remove the mass. In 1997, he received a lifetime dose of radiation and has since endured bouts with chemotherapy. Indeed, not the typical life of a child.

In many respects, however, Yardley demonstrates the remarkable characteristics of a healthy teenager. He's invincible in his aspirations and lives with the future in mind. Yardley's ambition to become a published author was recently turned into reality with the help of The Make a Wish Foundation, Cedar City, UT, and Alexander's Digital Printing, Lindon, UT.

In 1999, Make a Wish's Sandra Lord went into action when Yardley's family contacted her organization. With Yardley's wish in hand, she traveled to several large publishing firms to find a suitable partner. Lord sought the services of a publisher that would help create and produce 250 books by the budding author.

When none of the publishers contacted by Lord offered to support the project, she contacted her "last hope," Clark Caras, director of publication relations for Alexander's Digital Printing.

Caras, who'd previously lent his services to the foundation, listened with interest as Lord explained her proposition. "A digital printer, with [Xerox] DocuTechs and an Indigo [Turbostream] would be better able to facilitate taking care of this little boy's wish," Caras explains. "Besides, how do you say, 'No.'?"

Caras spoke with Alexander's president, Jeff Alexander, and the green light was illuminated. "We set a target date to grant his wish before Christmas," Caras recalls, "because he wanted to give his book as gifts to his friends and family."