According to the latest available data, there are over 8,000* children in Ireland who are living with a life threatening illness. These children have to deal with stress and fear at such a young age. This is why Make-A-Wish Ireland gives hope to these children and their loved ones by granting wishes.
Grant life-changing wishes
Make-A-Wish Ireland
When a child is diagnosed with a critical illness, it immediately disrupts their childhood. Pleasurable moments like having fun with friends at school make way for tests, scans and cold hospital rooms. Anxiety, fear and stress take over, and the whole family starts to feel the impact of the diagnosis.
Make-A-Wish Ireland believes in sparking hope and joy for these children and their loved ones. A granted wish enables the whole family to truly forget about their troubles for a while. It lets them create memories that they will treasure for years to come.
What does Make-A-Wish Ireland do?
Make-A-Wish Ireland believes in the transformative power of a granted wish. Their aim is to create an extraordinary wish journey for a critically ill child and their loved ones. During the wish journey, enjoyment and care are top priorities.
The first step to a wish journey is a referral. The criteria for eligible children are as follows:
- The child is living with a life-threatening condition.
- The child is between 3 and 18 years of age.
- The child hasn’t received a wish before.
After the approval, specially trained volunteers will visit the child to determine the details of the wish journey. Each wish is carefully crafted to the likes and dislikes of the child. As each child has their own special personality, so does each wish journey. After the wish has been determined, the wish-granters will start the magic. Learn more about how these wishes are granted at our frequently asked questions page.
A granted wish enables the child to build up psychological resources. Wish children have expressed feeling more courageous and confident following their wish. A life-changing wish can help them build up resilience that they might need later in their lives.
Give hope to critically ill children by donating
Make-A-Wish has the mission to grant as many wishes as possible, for every eligible critically ill child around the world. But we cannot do it alone.
A wish journey doesn’t stand on its own. Each wish journey is only possible because of the hard work of our volunteers, local partners, corporate sponsors and donations. Interested to learn where this wish-granting journey started? Read all about it here!
Your donation, small or large, makes a huge difference in the lives of critically ill children and their loved ones. Give hope, and donate today.
Grant life-changing wishes
How does the wish journey change the lives of children with critical illnesses?
For most of us, It is hard to imagine how a critical illness impacts the lives of a child as well as their parents. Instead of a typical, carefree childhood, children living with a critical illness often go through countless medical procedures and spend a lot of time in hospital rooms. But our Affiliate Make-a-Wish Ireland is here to change that for the better.
By fulfilling the dreams of children living with a critical illness, we hope to give them the chance to experience life beyond illness. We provide them with hope for the future, a joyful experience and strength in facing their treatment journey. Not only that, children are blessed with the opportunity to create unforgettable memories with their families.
What does the wish journey of Make-A-Wish Ireland look like?
When a child is diagnosed with a critical illness, the news itself can be devastating for the family as well as the child. The result of having such an illness is often that the joy of a typical childhood can be stripped away from them. At an age where children should be playing, they have to undergo medical treatment related to their illness.
Once an application has been made and the child is deemed eligible for a wish, the next step is to grant the child’s wish. The result is simply joyful. A wish can spark imagination and deliver strength to a child through their treatment journey.
What are Make-A-Wish Ireland’s criteria to apply for a wish?
Applying for a wish is simple. There are pre-specified criteria that must be satisfied before the wish process begins. The first of them is the age of the child. Their age must be between 3 and 17 years inclusive. They must also be diagnosed with a critical illness.
In addition, before a wish could be granted, the child under consideration must be referred first. This referral could be done either by a medical professional treating the child, the child’s parents or guardians, or any of their family members aware of the child’s illness. As soon as all of these are kept under consideration, the final step is to grant the wish.
How does my donation to Make-A-Wish Ireland transform the lives of children with critical illnesses?
Our Affiliate Make-A-Wish Ireland relies heavily on your donations. Little-to-no donations would make it impossible for us to grant wishes to children living with a critical illness around the world. With your generous donations, we aim to grant the wishes of countless children living with a critical illness.
These wishes make them realize that they too can experience joy and create new hope for the future. Donate today, and help us grant wishes!
Sarah Labelle is Digital Fundraising Manager at Make-A-Wish International, having joined the organization in 2022 after a previous mission in humanitarian healthcare. Sarah oversees new donor acquisitions and conversions through our digital channels. Additionally, Sarah manages the e-commerce side of the website, email marketing and strives to deliver a smooth donation process for all Make-A-Wish supporters.
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