By Norman Wedderburn
You may be familiar with the Make-A-Wish® name and even have a sense of the life-changing wishes we provide critically-ill children and their families. You may even know someone whose wish to be (something), to meet (someone), to go (somewhere), to have (something) or give (to a cause) has been granted by our nonprofit organization.
But here’s something you may not know. It’s medical and healthcare professionals like yourself that can be the impetus for these magical experiences. That can help us start the process of making dreams come true for local kids that likely qualify for our services, at no cost or obligation to their families, just by making us aware of those you may come across in your professional lives.
An Opportunity to Make a Difference
While the chapter I lead will grant nearly 600 wishes this year and assist with another 300 or so where travel brings them to our territory from other areas of the country, we’re not on the front lines of healthcare. And while we work very hard to identify every potentially eligible child, there are still some we’re not reaching. Ones who deserve all the hope, strength and joy a wish can provide, but who, for a variety of reasons, don’t get referred to our chapter.
As CEO, the thought of these missed opportunities keeps me up at night. Which is why I’m appealing to you directly, not to assist with my sleep, but to be an advocate for sick kids and their overwhelmed families during some of the most difficult times of their lives.
It’s easier to have life-changing impact than you might imagine. All it takes is a visit to www.wish.org/refer-a-child and the entry of some basic information to put the child on our radar. Once a referral has been received and a medical professional certifies their patient’s illness meets medical eligibility requirements, that individual is guaranteed to receive a wish that we believe isn’t just a nice thing we do, but a necessary part of the treatment regimen. Something research has shown positively impacts not just the mental and emotional state of the person whose wish it is, but also their extended support network of family and friends.
What Kids Wish For
As you might imagine, Disney-related experiences are still the most requested, but they are far from being all the wishes we grant. Our chapter recently had kids meet soccer superstar Lionel Messi, act in and direct their own movie and receive puppies. We’ve previously had kids spend private time with the pope at the Vatican, receive customized backyard playsets and had one young entrepreneur ring the bell to close trading on the New York Stock Exchange. We believe what kids wish for is only constrained by the limits of their imagination, which is why we built “Wish Works” at the Finker-Frenkel Wish House (but that’s a column for another day).
Will You Help?
Granting these wishes is something our chapter has done locally more than 15,000 times since 1983 and is perfectly positioned to do moving forward. But we can’t help kids we’re not aware of, so that’s why this is a direct appeal to join the effort to change lives. By referring a child you’ll create an opportunity that can be the springboard to a brighter future and, at the minimum, provide a much-needed respite for those whose lives have been turned upside down by a serious illness.
If you’re aware of a child between the ages of 2½ and 18 that has been diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition, we want to hear from you. Just visit the website to initiate the referral process and take pride in doing something special. Not just for a deserving a child and their family, but for yourself and the South Florida community we all call home.
Norman Wedderburn is the president/CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. For more information, visit www.wish.org/sfla. Follow and engage with Make-A-Wish on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
