Children living with life-threatening illnesses can use extra hope and joy to escape their hardships. Make-A-Wish Belgium believes fulfilling the wishes of these children is an effective way to reduce the stress and anxiety in their lives. Most of us cannot imagine how tough it is to spend your childhood in a hospital room, missing out on all the fun and joyful moments. By granting the wishes of critically ill children, our aim is to make a difference in their lives.
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The impact of a wish granted
A critically ill child may have to spend multiple days at the hospital, dealing with their life-threatening condition and possibly its complications. These children often spend a lot of their time anxious and stressed. Living with a critical illness compromises your routine activities. The opportunity to take a break, and enjoy life seems like a far-fetched idea.
All children living with life-threatening illnesses have different wishes based on their interests and preferences. Make-A-Wish Belgium values every wish application and tries to grant as many wishes to every eligible child as possible. Through granting a wish, we aim to provide these children with an opportunity to escape stress and anxiety and enable them to create joy-filled memories with their loved ones. The children living with life-threatening illnesses can then find strength, joy, and confidence through their wish journeys.
The stages of a wish journey with Make-A-Wish Belgium
The wish journey with Make-A-Wish Belgium has specific stages. We receive many wishes from critically ill children across the country. The first stage of this journey is to recognise the cases that meet our eligibility criteria. Next, we meet the respective critically ill child and their family members. After consulting the child’s healthcare professional, we discuss the safety of the wish for the child. Finally, we work with a group of donors and hard-working volunteers to grant the wish.
Which children are eligible?
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Grant life-changing wishes
What is the effect of a granted wish by Make-A-Wish Belgium?
Children living with a critical illness have to spend countless hours between the walls of the hospital room. They undergo several treatments and all of this can be mentally and physically tiring for a child. Being between those hospital walls can make a child more anxious or depressed. At times like these granting their wish is a way to provide them with an escape from stress and anxiety and give them hope. Once a wish is granted for a child, the child gets to experience what they have dreamt of and have an experience that brings them genuine peace and happiness. A granted wish can mean a lot for them and provide comfort during this tough time in their lives. It helps them mentally and physically to fight through their illness.What happens during the wish journey of Make-A-Wish Belgium?
Make-A-Wish Belgium follows specific steps before granting a wish to a child living with a critical illness. Make-A-Wish receives numerous applications but only those children that are eligible can have their wishes granted. Therefore, Make-A-Wish first separates those requests of children that meet the eligibility criteria. The next step is to meet the child and their family members. The respective doctors of the child living with a critical illness are consulted to ensure that the wish does not risk the child’s health in any form. Once the doctor approves the condition of the wish, volunteers and donors are contacted which helps our team fulfill the wish.Which children are eligible for a wish of Make-A-Wish Belgium?
Make-A-Wish aims to grant wishes to all eligible children who are living with a critical illness. Make-A-Wish receives numerous applications for wishes to be granted. An important part of the process of wish granting is to check if the applicants meet the specific eligibility criteria laid out by Make-A-Wish Belgium. Children that are eligible for their wish to be granted are those living with a critical illness and are between the ages of 3 and 18. It is important that we receive a confirmation from the doctor of the child regarding the diagnosis of the child. Once these checks are made, the rest of the process of wish granting starts.What can I do to help Make-A-Wish Belgium grant life-changing wishes?
Make-A-Wish is grateful to its generous donors and kind volunteers who help us fulfill the wishes of children living with critical illnesses. Through the help of doctors, parents, donors, volunteers, and the entire team involved these wishes can come true. If you want to help Make-A-Wish Belgium grant wishes for these children, there are numerous ways you can help. Firstly, you could donate to Make-A-Wish. A direct donation is one way many people help the foundation. Alternatively, you can help the foundation by volunteering. You can help us by collecting money through fundraisers and arranging events to collect donations. Every effort you put in makes a difference and makes the road to fulfilling wishes easier.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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