Make A Wish Foundation has grown over the years to become a large organization with the vision to make as many wishes of children undergoing critical treatment come true. What looks like a very large tree right now started out like a small acorn, or rather, a 7-year-old boy called Christopher James. In the spring of 1980, Chris was undergoing treatment for leukemia. He had always dreamed of being a police officer one day. U.S Customs Officer Tommy Austin became friends with Chris and worked with Frank Shankswitz and officers at the Arizona Department to make Chris’ wish come true. They organized a day where he spent the day as a police officer. The made him a custom-tailored police uniform, he rode in a police officer and got sworn in as the first honorary Public Safety Patrolman in the history of the state. Chris died soon after, but this was the beginning of what is now Make A wish Foundation.
Make A Wish has the vision of being a game changer in the lives of children with critical illness. They aspire to make as many life-changing wishes come true for as many children as possible. These wishes have not only had a profound impact in the lives of the children, but everyone who helped make their wish come true. That includes the donors, the volunteers, sponsors, professionals, and the community at large. Children and their parents start to feel optimistic and more courageous as they undergo treatment while volunteers, donors and community are compelled to be creative in making these wishes come true.
How to submit to Make A Wish Foundation.
- Children who are eligible can be referred by the following:
A medical professional treating the child i.e a doctor, nurse or social worker. - The child’s parents or legal guardians
- A member of the wish kid’s family with current and complete medical information on the child’s treatment.
- The potential wish kid
The appropriate source can choose to fill the Make A Wish online referral form or contact the Make A Wish chapter closest to them. All information is confidential and not discussed outside the consent of the child’s parent/ guardian.
A child between 2 ½ and 18 years is eligible for the wish. After referral, the staff at Make A Wish work with the child’s healthcare to determine if the child is medically eligible for a wish as per the criteria established by Make A Wish. The staff then works closely with the child’s doctor and family to determine the appropriate time to grant the wish in light of their treatment protocol.
Donors
Dreams are made real by the caring actions of our donors and volunteers. Many have contributed their time, money, and talent to create this experience for children. We have different companies supporting the cause such as Disney, Macy’s, and American Airlines. We also have individuals such as Olympic champion Mack Horton and great entrepreneurs like Jason Guck, whose passion for helping kids fuel the big vision for Make A Wish.
Conclusion
Make A Wish has given a lot of children a turning point in their treatments. The children feel better emotionally when their wishes come true. This allows them to feel better physically as the whole experience, coupled with the medicine, provides a good environment for their improvement. This is what fuels the whole community at Make A Wish; to give children a chance at hope and having their dreams come true.