The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a
501(c)(3)
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
founded in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
that helps fulfill the
wish
A wish is a hope or desire for something. In fiction, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used.
In fiction
In fiction a ...
es of children with a
critical illness
Intensive care medicine, also called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. It includes pro ...
between the ages of and 18 years old.
Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headquartered in
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
. The organization operates through its 59 chapters located throughout the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Make-A-Wish also operates in nearly 50 other countries around the world through 39 international affiliates.
History
In the spring of 1980, 7-year-old Christopher James Greicius (August 13, 1972 – May 3, 1980) was being treated for
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...
. He aspired to be a police officer.
U.S. Customs
The United States Customs Service was the very first federal law enforcement agency of the U.S. federal government. Established on July 31, 1789, it collected import tariffs, performed other selected border security duties, as well as conducted ...
Officer Tommy Austin befriended Chris and worked with
Frank Shankwitz
Frank Earle Shankwitz (March 8, 1943 – January 22, 2021) was an American philanthropist who was the creator and a co-founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He has received the President's Call to Service Award, the Making a Difference in the W ...
and officers at the
Arizona Department of Public Safety
The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) is a state-level law enforcement agency with a primary function of patrolling and enforcing state laws on Arizona highways. Director Heston Silbert was promoted from Deputy Director to Director in ...
to plan an experience to lift Greicius' spirits. Chris spent the day as a police officer, rode in a police
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
, received a custom-tailored police uniform, and was sworn in as the first honorary Public Safety patrolman in state history. Greicius died soon after, but his wish became the inspiration for the Make-A-Wish organization.
Process
![Barack Obama gives a Presidential coin to Nick Wetzel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Barack_Obama_gives_a_Presidential_coin_to_Nick_Wetzel.jpg)
Children who may be eligible to receive a wish can be referred by one of the following four sources:
# A medical professional treating the child (typically a provider (MD, DO, PA or NP), nurse, social worker or child-life specialist)
# The child's parents or legal guardians
# Another member of the wish kid's family with current and complete information about the child's medical condition and treatment
# The potential wish kid
To refer a child, the appropriate referral source can use the Make-A-Wish online referral form or contact the Make-A-Wish chapter closest to them. All medical information is considered confidential and is not discussed with outside parties unless it is required for the wish and the child's parent(s) or guardian(s) have given their consent.
A child with a critical illness who has reached the age of 2 and is under the age of 18 at the time of referral is potentially eligible for a wish. After a child is referred, Make-A-Wish staff work with each child's healthcare team to determine if a child is medically eligible for a wish, based on the medical criteria established by Make-A-Wish. In addition, a child cannot have received a wish from another wish-granting organization.
Each Make-A-Wish chapter follows specific policies and guidelines for granting a child's wish. Make-A-Wish works closely with the wish child's physician and family to determine the most appropriate time to grant the wish, keeping in mind the child's treatment protocol or other concerns. Most wish requests fall into five categories: I wish to go, I wish to be, I wish to meet, I wish to have, or I wish to give.
Professional wrestler
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...
holds the title for the most wishes granted by a single individual, at over 650 wishes.
On June 24, 2022,
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line is a cruise line operation that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The company was incorporated in 1996 as Magical Cruise Company Limited, through the first vessel, ''Disney Magic'' and is domiciled in London, England ...
honored all Make-A-Wish children as godchildren of the ''
Disney Wish
''Disney Wish'' is the fifth and newest cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. She is the largest ship in the fleet and the first of the ''Triton''-class. She entered service in June 2022 ...
''.
Governance and accountability
![Deepak S Bhatia and Indrajit Das 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Deepak_S_Bhatia_and_Indrajit_Das_02.jpg)
The national board of directors helps chart Make-A-Wish's course. The board determines the organization's mission and vision, evaluates and supports the president and chief executive officer, and protects Make-A-Wish's assets. The board also enhances Make-A-Wish's public standing, ensures accountability, maintains legal integrity, and assesses its own performance.
[About Us](_blank)
from Make-A-Wish International website
The senior leadership team is composed of Make-A-Wish's top-level management. Each member is a national office leader in disciplines that include wish-granting, fundraising, legal, brand advancement, and operational activities. The president and CEO guides the strategic plan in areas such as board development, talent development, fundraising, and corporate relations.
The
Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator is a charity assessment organization that evaluates hundreds of thousands of charitable organizations based in the United States, operating as a free 501(c)(3) organization. It provides insights into a nonprofit’s financial s ...
gave Make-A-Wish a 2-star overall rating, a 1-star financial rating and a 4-star accountability and transparency rating for the 2019 fiscal year.
Hunting and fishing
![Marine for a day, young boy has wish granted 130328-M-HQ478-187](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Marine_for_a_day%2C_young_boy_has_wish_granted_130328-M-HQ478-187.jpg)
Make-A-Wish stopped granting wishes involving hunting-related activities, including fishing, use of firearms or other weapons that are designed to cause animal injury in 1996. This was largely due to concerns over child safety, the pressure from animal-sensitive donors, and criticisms from animal rights groups. In response, three organizations were formed:
Hunt of a Lifetime
Hunt of a Lifetime is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fulfilling hunting and fishing related wishes of children 21 and under with life-threatening illnesses.
History
In 1998, Hunt of a Lifetime founder Tina Pattison decided to grant the ...
, which arranges hunting trips for terminally ill children; Catch-a-Dream, which was conceived by Mississippi outdoorsman Bruce Brady and formed by his loved ones following Brady's death from cancer to grant hunting experiences to ill children; and Life Hunts, founded by the Buckmasters American Deer Foundation.
In popular culture
* In the 1997 made-for-TV movie ''
A Child's Wish
''A Child's Wish'' is a 1997 American made-for-television drama film based on actual events. John Ritter stars as a father of a terminally ill 16-year-old girl portrayed by Anna Chlumsky.
Plot
Ritter portrays Ed Chandler, a father who is fired ...
'', Missy's wish is to go to the White House to meet the president who was responsible for signing the
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) is a United States labor law requiring covered employers to provide employees with job-protected, unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons. The FMLA was a major part of President Bill C ...
into law, which her father lobbied to pass after being fired for visiting Missy in the cancer ward. Make-A-Wish is not sure she will get to meet the president or be allowed to see the
Oval Office
The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C.
The oval-shaped room ...
, but in the end, President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, playing himself in a cameo appearance, meets her to make her wish come true.
* A 1997 sketch of the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
series ''
Mr. Show with Bob and David
''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', also known as ''Mr. Show'', is an American sketch comedy series starring and hosted by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. It aired on HBO from November 3, 1995, to December 28, 1998.
Cross and Odenkirk introduced m ...
'' focuses on a knock-off of Make-a-Wish called "Dream of a Lifetime", an organization run by two men trying to offer a discount for families of ill children, but whose lack of resources or connections ends with one of them in prison.
* In the ''
South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'' episode "
Kenny Dies
"Kenny Dies" is the thirteenth and penultimate episode of the fifth season of the animated television series '' South Park'', and the 78th episode of the series overall. "Kenny Dies" originally aired in the United States on December 5, 2001 on Com ...
", Make-A-Wish is satirized when they visit Kenny in the hospital and ask what his one wish is.
* In the ''
Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'' episode "
If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'
The second season of '' Family Guy'' first aired on the Fox network in 21 episodes from September 23, 1999, to August 1, 2000. The series follows the dysfunctional Griffin family—father Peter, mother Lois, daughter Meg, son Chris, baby Stew ...
", a parody of the Make-A-Wish called the Grant-a-Dream Foundation was presented.
* In January 2008, the satirical news site ''
The Onion
''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on August 2 ...
'' produced a parody video claiming that the Make-A-Wish was bankrupted due to a child's wish for "infinite wishes". The video was apparently so convincing that some people believed it to be real, and it had to be debunked by the urban legends website
Snopes
''Snopes'' , formerly known as the ''Urban Legends Reference Pages'', is a Fact checking, fact-checking website. It has been described as a "well-regarded reference for sorting out myths and rumors" on the Internet. The site has also been see ...
. ''
The Mansion
The Mansion or The Mansions may refer to:
Books
* ''The Interior Castle'', also known as ''The Mansions'' (1577), a spiritual guide written by Teresa of Ávila
* ''The Mansion'' (novel), a 1959 book written by novelist William Faulkner
Buildings ...
'' and ''
The Chaser's War on Everything
''The Chaser's War on Everything'' is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television station ABC1. It has won an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Television Comedy S ...
'' did similar sketches about the Make-A-Wish, the latter causing an unprecedented amount of controversy.
* Make-a-Wish made headlines in 2013 with an elaborate Batman-themed wish, turning a young child into "
Batkid
Batkid is the superhero name of Miles Scott, an American child and cancer survivor. His wish was to be "Batkid", a sidekick of the comic book superhero Batman, the subject of books, radio, television, and films. Once the request went out, thousand ...
". This wish was heavily publicized, and was chronicled in a documentary entitled ''
Batkid Begins
''Batkid Begins'' is a 2015 American documentary film co-produced (with Liza Maek), co-written (with Kurt Kuenne) and directed by Dana Nachman. The documentary follows Miles Scott, an American child and cancer survivor. His wish was to be "Batki ...
''. In 2018 Batkid was considered to be cancer-free.
* In ''
The Fault in Our Stars
''The Fault in Our Stars'' is a novel by John Green. It is his fourth solo novel, and sixth novel overall. It was published on January 10, 2012. The title is inspired by Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play ''Julius Caesar'', in which the noble ...
'', a 2014 American
romantic drama film
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typica ...
, the character Augustus suggests that Hazel should use the "cancer wish" she received from "Genies" - a fictional organization just like Make-A-Wish - to travel to Amsterdam to visit her favorite author.
*In a comedy sketch from the ''
Key & Peele
''Key & Peele'' (abbreviated to ''K&P'') is an American sketch comedy television series created by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele for Comedy Central. Both Key and Peele previously worked on ''Mad TV.''
Each episode of the show consists m ...
''
season 4 Season 4 may refer to:
* "Season 4" (''30 Rock'' episode), an episode of ''30 Rock''
See also
*
* Season One (disambiguation) Season One may refer to:
Albums
* ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004
* ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughte ...
episode "Scariest Movie Ever",
Jordan Peele
Jordan Haworth Peele (born February 21, 1979) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his film and television work in the comedy and horror genres. Peele's breakout role came in 2003, when he was hired as a cast membe ...
portrays a dying child unsettling his doctor and a Make-a-Wish representative with increasingly disturbing "wishes", deliberately provoking the doctor into calling him a "devil child" and questioning his beliefs about "the essential goodness of children."
* In the episode "Infamous" of ''
Ninjago
Lego Ninjago is a Lego theme that was created in 2011 and a flagship brand of The Lego Group. It is the first theme to be based on ninja since the discontinuation of the Lego Ninja theme in 2000. Whilst it retains some elements of the previous ...
'', the ninja go to a hospital to fulfill a wish made by a hospital patient through the Grant-a-Wish Foundation, a reference to Make-a-Wish.
* In ''
Zac & Mia'', a 2017 American
romance
Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to:
Common meanings
* Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings
* Romance languages, ...
teen drama
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
web television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aer ...
series based on the novel of the same name, the titular character Zac uses the wish he received from Make-A-Wish to recreate prom for Mia after she initially forgoes her own due to her embarrassment over her current medical condition.
* Four children were guest-stars on the show ''
Cake Boss
''Cake Boss'' is an American reality television series, which originally aired on the cable television network TLC. The series premiered on April 19, 2009, and has spawned four spin-offs: ''Next Great Baker'', ''Kitchen Boss'', ''Bake You Rich' ...
'' in 2017, in which
Buddy Valastro
Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Jr. (born March 3, 1977) is an American baker and reality television personality of Italian heritage. He is the owner of Carlo's Bakery, as well as the face of Buddy V's Ristorante. Valastro is best known as the star of ...
helped the four children make one-of-a-kind cakes before making a
hot air balloon
A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries p ...
cake for a reception for a Make-A-Wish event.
* In the
29th season of the television show ''
Survivor (American TV series)
''Survivor'' is the American version of the international '' Survivor'' reality competition television franchise, itself derived from the Swedish television series ''Expedition Robinson'' created by Charlie Parsons which premiered in 1997. Th ...
'', thirteen year-old Make-A-Wish child Austin Russell contributed a reward obstacle course as part of his wish.
*In 2022,
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line is a cruise line operation that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The company was incorporated in 1996 as Magical Cruise Company Limited, through the first vessel, ''Disney Magic'' and is domiciled in London, England ...
chose to christen all Make-A-Wish foundation children as the Godchildren of the newest ship in the Disney fleet, the Disney Wish. Previously ships were named after female characters and role models such as Tinker Bell, Jennifer Hudson and Mariah Carey.
See also
*
Disney Worldwide Outreach Program, a partner of the Make-A-Wish
*
Make a Film Foundation
Make a Film Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2006 by writer, director, producer, and actor Tamika Lamison. Make a Film Foundation grants film wishes to children and teenagers who have serious or life-threatening medi ...
References
External links
Make-A-Wish of AmericaMake-A-Wish International
{{Authority control
Children's charities based in the United States
Organizations based in Phoenix, Arizona
Charities based in Arizona
Organizations established in 1980
1980 establishments in Arizona