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The summer season is your immediate opportunity to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses!
Have you ever had a life-changing summer?
Children with critical illnesses are anxiously waiting for their summer wishes to
come true – and through the months of June, July and August, you have the power
to create the hope and joy they urgently need in their fight against their illness.
While most children are enjoying playing outside and traveling with their families,
children with critical illnesses are battling treatments and procedures that can feel
scary and isolating. Right now, you can help grant these kids' wishes and make a huge
splash in their lives, in the lives of their families and for everyone involved in making those wishes come true.
How you can help
Josie's Nature Park Will Bring Friends Together Forever
Help Grant Summer Wishes
Make-A-Wish plans every wish with one goal: to transform the life of a child with a critical illness. Care and attention are given to every little detail. Your donation supports wish-granting needs and empowers the kids Make-A-Wish serves, bringing them hope for today – and tomorrow.
What your gift can do
Summer wish stories
When Josie was 2 years old, she said she wanted to make five new friends.
That has been a challenge for her as she has battled congenital heart
disease. Today, Josie is 6 years old and decided to create that opportunity
once and for all with her wish.
Josie wished to build a “nature playground” in a small Virginia town,
in hopes that it would also help her connect with five new friends.
Thanks to Make-A-Wish, Josie was involved every step of the way,
from the designs to the installation to reveal day as the park
was developed.
“It’s just so amazing that this brave little girl chose to make her
wish a park in [our] town for her buddies and to make five new
friends,” said Katie Lamb, the town’s mayor. “We are just so thrilled
with her wanting to do this in our town. It’s tremendous.”
The new hometown of Josie’s playground has a population of about 620 people, and the volunteers who helped with her wish reached about 100 people, including wish alumni such as Ben Earp. “I have three kids of my own, and when we found out that this was happening in our town, it had a personal effect on me,” Ben said. “When we first moved here, this was literally just a weeded mess and to see it become an actual park that my kids will grow up using and to see the town come together to build something for someone this deserving and this organization that is very deserving of the help that it gets, it means a lot, I have to say.”
Josie’s park design even included a “Buddy Bench” with an invitation to anyone who wants to be Josie’s friend: “The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
“I really like this place,” Josie said.
I wish to make five
new friends by building
a playground in my community
Josie, 6
congenital heart disease
I wish to go to the beach
Chrischell, 9
leukemia
A Family's Journey Through Strength and Hope
At the heart of Soraya's wish to go to the beach was the desire to spend
quality time together as a family, because more time with Soraya means
everything. Soraya, 11, has an undiagnosed neuromuscular degenerative
disease that affects every part of her body.
When Soraya’s parents, Tasha and Safi, realized she was sick, they thought,
“If anybody can figure this out, it's going to be us.” Tasha is a pediatrician
and Safi is a surgeon. A lack of diagnosis was frustrating, and at times,
defeating. “Not only do we not have a diagnosis, but we know for
sure she’s declining, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it,”
Tasha said. Before her wish, Soraya and her family felt like giving up.
But Soraya’s wish was an adventure they took together that they
never imagined was possible. The experience changed everything.
“A tradition we have started since her wish is, every few months,
we go around the table and ask, ‘What do you want to do?’ Sometimes it can be, ‘I want to see [a] concert,’ and other times it might be, ‘I want to watch the sunset and make a s’more at the same time.’ Since then, we have had such incredible experiences from the ripple effect of Make-A-Wish of just living our life,” Tasha said.
The wish experience has shifted the way Soraya’s family understands the time they spend together and the impact of community during a time of crisis. “You may think it's a one-time gift, but it's not. Please realize, from a family that's gone through this, that it impacts them as they're preparing for the [wish] and it impacts them every day after,” she said. “A wish is a pause. A time to pivot. And a wish is an opportunity. It really pushes a family to put things into perspective.”
I wish to go to the beach
Soraya, 9
neuromuscular degenerative disorder
Bryce's Puppy Wish Brings Comfort and Lasting Joy
After bringing baby Bryce home, newborn bliss was replaced with
uncertainty as parents Bruce and Adrienne learned that he had a
blood disorder.
“We were totally caught off guard,” Adrienne said. “And shortly after,
our lives changed.” Extended hospital stays and intense pain
management took hold of Bryce’s childhood. The entire family
lived their lives based on rules and limitations.
“You try to incorporate moments of positivity and hope, but the
outlook was not looking so good for my family,” Adrienne said.
Bryce eventually received a bone marrow transplant from his sister Chloe
that changed his world. Finally, 10-year-old Bryce could enjoy activities such as
swimming and playing basketball without the fear of hospitalization. However, he had to
be homeschooled for a second year. “It became very lonely and depressing for Bryce,” Adrienne said.
What Bryce wanted most was a furry companion – he wished to have a puppy.
On his wish day, Bryce’s parents took him to a park where Make-A-Wish staff and volunteers surprised Bryce with his toy poodle puppy, Bear. In an instant, Bryce’s wish transformed his life, as he embraced Bear and shared the biggest smile.
“That probably had to be one of my best moments,” Bryce said.
“For a child that has gone through so much, it’s so nice when they get a win. And this was Bryce’s win,” Adrienne said. “Because when my son laughs, when my son is happy, we are reminded of the challenge that he’s overcome – and I am forever grateful for the contribution and the gift that we received from Make-A-Wish.”
Today, Bryce takes loving care of Bear and they do everything together.
“Bear’s been a good dog and he really calms me down when certain stuff are going on, and yeah, we’re just best friends,” Bryce said. “Thank you, Make-A-Wish!”
I wish to have a toy poodle puppy
Bryce, 10
blood disorder
Animal Adventure Sparks a Transformation for Jaime
Jaime's fascination with animals began at a young age.
He wasn't just a casual admirer; he was a true animal lover.
His days were filled with exploring the world of creatures big and
small, from lions to tortoises.
Life took an unexpected turn for Jaime when he was diagnosed
with cancer in kindergarten. When Make-A-Wish came into
Jaime’s life, he wished to connect with the animals he loved at
the San Diego Zoo.
“It was exciting for Jaime to look forward to his wish. It motivated
him to keep working on his physical therapy to build stamina to see
all the animals at the zoo," said Leticia, Jaime’s mom. The anticipation of
his wish energized him, adding a sparkle back to his laughter and an undeniable twinkle
to his eyes. Jaime's visit to the San Diego Zoo and Aquarium was extraordinary. The zoo staff gave
him a private tour, allowing him to get up close and personal with the animals, even feeding the tortoises. His favorite, the Komodo dragon, left a lasting impression. The adventure continued beyond the zoo's gates as Jaime enjoyed the local beaches, collecting shells, exploring the shallows, and watching mesmerizing sunsets.
Jaime's wish to visit the San Diego Zoo and Aquarium had a profound physical and emotional impact. “He accomplished incredible progress we hadn't thought possible. When we returned home, it was as if he had brought back a newfound confidence. He now approaches strangers with ease, confidently answering questions about his wish,” Leticia said. “This transformation left us in awe of how the wish gave him self-assurance and comfort in his own skin.”
Jaime thought his wish was, “Awesomeness!”
I wish to go to the San Diego Zoo
Jaime, 9
cancer
Help Grant Summer Wishes
Black-Tie Birthday Bash Brings Family Closer
Matthew has been in the hospital since he was 2 ½ years old.
Despite his rare genetic disorder leaving him very medically fragile,
Matthew has beaten a lot of odds.
As a newborn, Matthew’s parents were told he may not even
make it through the night. His condition, which affects less than
100 people in the U.S., causes skeletal abnormalities and paralysis,
mental disabilities and reduced function of the heart, lungs,
liver and spleen.
But on his wish, he celebrated a milestone birthday in the best way –
surrounded by his family and the people who love him.
Because of hospital restrictions, Matthew’s family hadn’t all been in a room all together
in more than three years. Limited to one visitor at a time, most of Matthew’s interactions with loved ones had been through a phone screen, leaving him feeling isolated. More than anything, Matthew wanted connection, to see and feel everyone in his support system – in a black-tie formal affair to celebrate his birthday. Matthew couldn’t leave the hospital, so the party needed to come to him. Through meticulous planning with his medical team and the hospital, Make-A-Wish volunteers managed to pull together the party of Matthew’s dreams, complete with a formal dinner, DJ and photobooth.
Matthew loves New York City, so the party brought his city in through the hospital walls to him. And when he entered to the room filled with his family, friends and hospital volunteers to his favorite song about New York and dressed to the nines, it was pure joy and love.
“All of the nurses, doctors and staff were lining up to take photos with him,” Matthew’s social worker said. “I have never seen him this excited!"
Matthew's wish allowed him to celebrate and connect with his family and those who have cared for him over so many years. Being able to see and feel everyone in his support system changed everything.
According to his mom, Matthew's wish has had an immeasurable impact on his mental health and strengthened his family bond in a way that would otherwise have not been possible. “Today has been a dream, to see Matthew and all of my boys together looking so handsome … it’s all I could ever want,” his mother said. “Never lose hope, and do the best you can for your child, no matter what, because you don’t know what tomorrow brings.”
I wish to have a black-tie birthday bash
Matthew
genetic disorder
Meet Our Wish Kids
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Soaking in Sunnier Days as a Family
As vibrant Chrischell persisted through difficult leukemia
treatments, she maintained her joyful spirit – but longed for
sunnier days. The third-grader from Texas wished to go on a
beach vacation with her entire family by her side.
When asked to choose her wish, Chrischell did not hesitate:
a family vacation with her parents and two sisters to the beach
to celebrate the conclusion of her treatment! In her mind,
she had planned every detail of the trip, from swimming with
mermaids to finding a house with a long slide to the ocean!
After a “really long” plane ride, Chrischell and her family spent
nearly every second by the ocean and enjoyed, by an unofficial
count, nearly everything there is to do at the beach, including splashing in the waves and lounging on the soft, warm sand.
For Chrischell, her wish trip would be a celebration to mark the end of her treatment. The ocean waved in welcome as Chrischell and her family arrived at their beach house and lounged on the warm, soft sand. Chrischell even swam with mermaids and even transformed into one herself!
Refreshed from the fun and sun of a worry-free getaway, Chrischell said her wish was “amazing.”
I wish to go to the beach
Chrischell, 9
leukemia
When Josie was 2 years old, she said she wanted to make five new friends. That has been a challenge for her as she has battled congenital heart disease. Today, Josie is 6 years old and decided to create that opportunity once and for all with her wish.
Josie wished to build a “nature playground” in a small Virginia town, in hopes that it would also help her connect with five new friends. Thanks to Make-A-Wish, Josie was involved every step of the way, from the designs to the installation to reveal day as the park was developed.
“It’s just so amazing that this brave little girl chose to make her wish a park in [our] town for her buddies and to make five new friends,” said Katie Lamb, the town’s mayor. “We are just so thrilled with her wanting to do this in our town. It’s tremendous.”
The new hometown of Josie’s playground has a population of about 620 people, and the volunteers who helped with her wish reached about 100 people, including wish alumni such as Ben Earp. “I have three kids of my own, and when we found out that this was happening in our town, it had a personal effect on me,” Ben said. “When we first moved here, this was literally just a weeded mess and to see it become an actual park that my kids will grow up using and to see the town come together to build something for someone this deserving and this organization that is very deserving of the help that it gets, it means a lot, I have to say.”
Josie’s park design even included a “Buddy Bench” with an invitation to anyone who wants to be Josie’s friend: “The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
“I really like this place,” Josie said.
Josie's Nature Park Will Bring Friends Together Forever
I wish to have a black-tie birthday bash
Soraya, 9
neuromuscular degenerative disease