Working at Make-A-Wish^®, it’s a privilege to get firsthand insight into how a wish changes lives. But to fully understand why a wish experience is so impactful, you need to know exactly what these kids are going through and how heartbreaking their reality is.

That’s why I wanted to take a moment to share what a typical day looks like for children who are growing up with cancer.

The most grueling part of their medical journey is chemotherapy. The treatments themselves can make kids feel nauseous and weak, and losing their hair is a jarring change for children who are already enduring so much – causing them to often lose confidence and feel depressed.

As difficult as the routine aspects of their treatments are, they also face the constant fear of complications. Often, child cancer patients endure fevers, emergency room visits and long stays in the ICU.

A cancer journey isn’t just physically difficult, either. They’re often traumatic and take a severe emotional toll. Because of treatments and weakened immune systems, these kids often have to miss out on key pieces of their childhood – like going to school, seeing their friends and even spending quality time with their families. This can lead to dark, lonely days when all they want is their regular life back.

It’s difficult to think about the fact that thousands of kids are going through these kinds of challenges day in and day out. But a wish provides these kids with the strength to keep persevering through tough treatments, the hope of brighter days ahead and the joy of childhood that their critical illness has taken from them.

That’s why the overwhelming majority of medical providers agree that wish experiences are a necessary part of a child’s medical journey – improving not only a child’s emotional well-being, but also their health outcomes and their odds of overcoming their critical illness altogether.

But for every wish we’re able to grant, another two kids are waiting – and we rely entirely on the generosity of caring supporters like you to make sure they don’t have to wait one unnecessary day for the life-changing impact of a wish.

That’s why we’re turning to you to ask: Will you please make a gift for kids in need of a wish today? Your generosity has the power to create a turning point for a child fighting a critical illness.

Thank you so much for all you do to make more wishes come true.

Adam Faircloth
Chief Integrated Fundraising Officer
Make-A-Wish