Make-A-Wish is an international organization that serves to fulfill the wishes of children with critical illnesses. We operate in over 50 countries and have brought 550,000 wishes to life in 43 years.
We celebrate the 29th of April every year as World Wish Day. This date commemorates the first wish ever granted by the movement. Wish children have to meet certain criteria in order to qualify for having their wish granted. The Make-A-Wish journey is a great opportunity for children who are living with a critical illness to experience the joy of a life-long wish being granted. The experience and impact of a wish strengthens the child’s hope and can have a positive impact on their mental health. In this blog we discuss who is eligible for a wish to be granted.
Grant life-changing wishes
How to apply for a wish
Wishes are granted to children aged 3-17 years who have been diagnosed with a critical illness. Medical professionals or family members of a child can refer an eligible child for a wish. Applications are accepted by each Make-A-Wish Affiliate for children living in that country.
Eligibility criteria for the wish journey
The child doesn’t need to be terminal in order to receive a wish—many children who receive a wish survive and go on to live healthy lives. The idea behind the organization is to create an unforgettable experience for critically ill children and bring some extra laughter and joy into their lives. The eligibility criteria for the wish journey are:
1) Between the ages of 3-17 years old;
2) Diagnosed with a progressive, degenerative or malignant condition that is life-threatening;
3) Has not yet received a wish from a similar organization to Make-A-Wish.
The stages of the wish journey
The wish journey starts with a referral. Make-A-Wish accepts referrals from children themselves, parents, family members, and medical professionals. Once a child is referred to Make-A-Wish, we check the eligibility criteria to make sure the child is eligible for receiving a wish. The child’s treating doctor determines whether the child is medically eligible.
After the eligibility of the child is confirmed, our wishgranters meet with the family and to discover what the child’s wish might be. They then design the wish and start coordinating with the required partners, suppliers and volunteers to plan it.
Donors, doctors, supporters, and volunteers all help in granting a child’s wish. There are hundreds of WishMakers that come together to make wishes come true.
How to contribute to a wish
There are many ways you can contribute to a wish. You can become a volunteer to help us expand our reach from the 50 countries we are currently active into. Volunteers help our organization run.
Make-A-Wish is a non-profit organization, and we rely on donations to bring the power of a wish to children with critical illness and their families.
You can also host a fundraising campaign in your area to raise funds to donate. This can include anything from a bake sale to any other form of a charity event. Here are some ideas on how to raise money for Make-A-Wish. Give hope to children with critical illnesses and their families by donating today.
Grant life-changing wishes
What are the stages of the wish journey?
The stages of the wish journey are the series of actions Make-A-Wish takes to fulfill the wishes of children living with life-threatening illnesses. There are multiple stages of this progress.
Firstly, Make-A-Wish meets with the child and their family to find out what their wish will be. This stage is called wish capture. In some countries, the wish children each receive a wish coin, which signifies that their wish will come true.
After that we move on to wish design, where we make sure that the best experience to fulfill the child’s desired wish is delivered. Then we enter the wish anticipation period. The child awaits their wish great excitement which can pose as a much-needed diversion for them, which leads us to the best step of this beautiful wish journey, the wish realization. The child’s most desired wish finally gets fulfilled.
Lastly, we have the wish impact stage of the wish journey. Research shows that a wish-com-true has lasting positive impacts on the child and their family, bringing hope, joy and improved well-being.
What is the criteria of eligibility?
Every child who is as old as 3 but younger than 18 and living with a critical illness could be eligible for their wish to be granted.
Make-A-Wish also has set medical criteria to determine which children are eligible for a wish. A doctor who is treating the child justly determines whether the child can be medically eligible under the criteria or not.
Why did you set criteria for eligibility?
Make-A-Wish aims to grant the wish of every eligible child. Due to limited resources and in order to bring the maximum benefit to the children who receive a wish, we do not grant wishes to adults, or to children under 3 years old.
How do you grant a wish?
Make-A-Wish is only able to continue granting wishes with help of its network of volunteers, donors, partners and other supporters. Wishes take, time, money and skills. Our Wishgranters are experts at creating unique, meaningful and memorable wish experiences for children and their families. Since no two wishes are the same, they take the time to get to know the wish child and their family, to understand the ‘why’ of the wish, and to look for opportunities to enhance the wish experience.
Sixtine Tabard, Digital Marketing Manager at Make-A-Wish International, joined the organization at the beginning of 2025. With over 9 years of digital marketing & analytics experience in e-commerce, she brings a wealth of expertise. Sixtine is responsible for the website content and SEO, and supports new affiliates in setting up their own website. Additionally, she manages the digital analytics side of the website to improve its efficiency and ensure a smooth donation process for all Make-A-Wish supporters.
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