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VIDEO: B.C. teen crafts paper cranes to grant wishes for Help Fill A Dream

Myla Bui raises hopes with paper skills honed at her sister91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s hospital bedside
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Saanich teen Myla Bui folds cranes in the thousands to help raise funds and spirits with the Help Fill a Wish Foundation. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)

Myla Bui can fold a paper crane in under two minutes.

The Saanich teen took up origami as she sat at her sister91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s bedside after Leila Bui was hospitalized with severe, life-altering injures 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ a result of being hit by a driver while crossing the street outside her home in 2017. In the sterility of that hospital room hung a mobile dripping in colourful paper cranes, courtesy of a family friend.

It offered a spot of brightness and Myla first learned about the Japanese legend that promises a wish for the person who folds 1,000 origami cranes.

Enamoured, she started folding for fun.

A couple years ago, her mom Kairry Nguyen suggested the now 13-year-old take a philanthropy course, Myla recalled.

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One step in the Coast Capital Savings Foundation of Youth Giving Hearts Workshop entails creating a fundraiser 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ Myla91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s brother suggested the origami.

While the workshop asked youth to develop a fundraiser as part of the coursework, implementing was Myla91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s idea.

In 2020, Myla started a campaign called 1,001 Cranes 1 Wish 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ adding a crane for luck.

She folds cranes while fundraising. When she has 1,001 cranes, Myla makes a mobile and the Help Fill a Dream recipient receives both the funds and the wish in form of a mobile.

She selected Help Fill A Dream Foundation as the benefactor. It91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s the organization that once helped the family build a ramp and get an accessible vehicle so Leila 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ who relies on a wheelchair at all times 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ to come home.

In the near three years since, she91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s created a dozen mobiles 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ at minimum 12,012 cranes 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ for young people facing health issues.

The Help Fill a Dream Foundation supports families from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands whose lives are suddenly disrupted by a child91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s diagnosis or severe health challenge.

She91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s honed the craft since then, embarking on an initiative with Help Fill a Dream Foundation in 2021 to help raise hopes and funds.

Now in Grade 8 at Arbutus Global School, she91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s folded 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ with a little help at times 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ at minimum 12,012 cranes, to create 12 mobiles for the Help Fill a Dream. She presented her latest mobile late last month, this one funded fully by an anonymous donor, to a girl whose wish (granted) is to visit Japan.

Myla took the wish into account, building a mobile with the Japanese character for dream in it.

Aside from the philanthropy, origami remains family bonding time.

Myla and her mom often craft cranes while watching television with

christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca



christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca

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About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

Longtime journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
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