Esmé's Stories
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Esmé is a young woman who lives with significant medical complexity that inhibits her ability to speak, walk, and eat. She is also a storyteller who uses an Eyegaze-driven communication device to share her knowledge, intelligence, and humor as well as her vision of the world. Esmé’s stories, and indeed her life, are filled with creative magic, inspired by her experiences visiting MASS MOCA, the Frida Kahlo exhibit in Brooklyn, and Disney Animation Studios, but also by the connections she has formed with the people (and the occasional Muppet) who she has pulled into her orbit. When offered the chance for a Make-A-Wish wish, Esmé expressed her desire to create an “Esmé Museum” in which she shared her stories and provided a setting to bring people together to experience them in new ways. Join us in celebration
of Esmé and her creative storytelling through visual interpretations of her
most recent stories.
Presented with support from Make-A-Wish Northeast New York
About Esmé
Esmé Ann Savoie
My name is Esmé Ann Savoie. I was born on January 14 in Troy, New York. My mom and dad are always by my side, and I love it. They are supportive and kind. When I was younger, my mom taught me letters and numbers, but I learned to read myself. I have always been a *storyteller* mostly to myself. My stories were in my head without a way to tell them. I needed a change.
I have always been a storyteller mostly to myself. My stories were in my head without a way to tell them. I needed a change. Then finally Kayleigh and I started working together. I saw the new way could be good.
“Wishes, whether they are to go on a trip to Walt Disney World® Resort, have a backyard playset, meet a celebrity or any of the other nearly endless options, all have one thing in common: They are driven by a child’s imagination,” Make-A-Wish Northeast New York CEO William C. Trigg, III, said. “This exhibit, the first of its kind for the chapter, illustrates the beautiful mind of Esmé, and the boundless possibilities a wish can offer.
“When we started Esmé’s wish journey, her communication with her talker was still very limited, and it was incredibly important that Esmé be given the time and opportunity to articulate her wish,” wish mom Hillary Savoie said. “When she wished for an ‘Esmé Museum,’ it was the first times Ez used communication to share a creative vision of how she wanted something to be, and from there, with the support of her communication team, her creativity exploded.“Esmé has a lot to teach this world about magic, love, jokes and fun – and why we must always presume the competency of individuals who communicate differently and support them in finding their own voices!
“Make-A-Wish grants life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Make-A-Wish Northeast New York serves the 15 counties comprising the 518 and 838 area codes. The chapter normally grants 90-100 wishes each year, and has granted more than 2,000 wishes since 1987. For more information about Make-A-Wish, visit wish.org/neny and discover how you can share the power of a wish®.
