If Lindsay Norville had a magic lamp, she would have rubbed it until a genie came out so she could ask him for just one wish: to have her book, Cracked Up, published.
But 18-year-old Norville of Colonie did not need a magic lamp. Her wish was granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast New York ` the organization’s 900th granted wish.
At 16, Norville was diagnosed with acute liver disease and soon after received a liver transplant. Through her illness, she kept her spirit alive with her passion for writing and storytelling, which began when she was 10 years old.
When she was 13, she completed her first novel, `Cracked Up,` the tale of a teenager’s trials and tribulations in dealing with her family.
Norville said the story is fictional, though it was inspired by some of her real-life experiences.
`Once a child is referred to us, then they are assigned wish granters which are the people that are liaisons between the chapter and the family and they’re the ones that actually work with the family to make the wish come true,` said Stephen Schaffer, marketing director and public relations coordinator for the local chapter of Make-A-Wish.
The wish granters can come from anywhere in the community and grant wishes based on generosity and willingness to give.
`People are very, very generous and very giving, and what they did was they approached the bookstore in Stuyvesant Plaza [to grant Lindsay’s wish],` Schaffer said.
Schaffer said the granter decided it would be better to have Norville’s book published by a small independent bookstore versus a large chain because more people from the local area would be compelled to buy it.
The book was published and released at The Book House, in Stuyvesant Plaza. The binding and publishing of the book was donated by the Troy Book Makers, a company co-owned by the owner of the Book House, Susan Novotny.
The Book House was filled with Norville’s family and friends the day of the release of `Cracked Up` in June. Norville said she was so happy she could share her wish-come-true with all of them.
`I wanted my wish to be something meaningful that would really last, and now, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, I am a published author,` she said.“