FAQs

How do you make a wish referral?
Simply call our office and speak to our Program Services Department, at (800) 324-9474 (WISH), or refer a child online

Who makes the wish referral?
Approximately half of all wish referrals are initiated by healthcare professionals and half are started by friends, relatives, and other wish families, or by the potential wish child.

Requests can be made by anyone. However, if the initial call comes from someone other than the parents or guardians, we ask that the parents or guardians be encouraged to call directly on behalf of their own child. In all cases the child’s own physician is contacted to affirm the medical appropriateness of the referral.

Wish questions

What is a wish?
A "wish" is a child's personal, heartfelt answer to the question: "If you could go anywhere, meet anyone, have or be or experience anything, what would you choose? What would you do?" Wishes are wonderful experiences given to critically ill children. Not only is the wish a magical interlude in a terrible and frightening time, say other wish families, but it is also a factor in increasing a child's sense of empowerment. Children are energized by a wish ... by imagining it, describing it, planning and anticipating it. Families tell us that a wish can encourage a child to see a future to fight for, and then to fight on, often against tremendous odds, giving courage and hope.

How many wishes are granted?
Each year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona grants around 200 wishes. The chapter celebrated its 3,000th wish in June 2007. We also host additional wishes for children from other states visiting Arizona for a special wish experience. Nationally, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted nearly 150,000 wishes since 1980.

How old must a child be to have a wish granted?
A child must be at least 2 1/2 years old and not yet have reached their 18th birthday at the time of the referral.

What children are eligible?
Children who have been diagnosed by their physician as having a life-threatening medical condition, and who are at least 2 1/2 years old but have not yet reached their 18th birthday, are eligible for a wish.

Healthcare providers may contact us for a copy of our medical guidelines to determine a child’s eligibility. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic status. No eligible child has ever been denied a wish.

Are there any restrictions on wishes?
The Make-A-Wish Foundation tries to insure that a wish is age-appropriate and the child’s own heartfelt desire, expressed in his or her own words. We discourage wishes that appear to be initiated by a need of the family or a need of the medical treatment, rather than the spontaneous, joyful impulse of the child. Serious safety concerns may also prevent us from granting certain wishes. All wishes must be authorized by the child’s doctor.

Are there any types of wishes you don’t grant?
The Foundation cannot grant wishes for any type of medical assistance (i.e. bone marrow transplant, medical transportation, surgery, medical equipment, etc.) The Foundation also does not grant wishes for weapons, new automobiles, capital improvements or international travel.

How long does it take to grant a wish?
The length of time it takes to grant a wish for a child who medically qualifies can range anywhere from 24 hours to two years. The determining factor is the child’s particular wish and current medical condition. When a child does not have the time to wait for a wish, we make every effort to grant that child’s wish within 24 hours. However, in most situations, the process takes approximately six months from the initial phone calls to the wish being completed. Travel related wishes often take a longer period of time to grant due to additional planning, preparation and other varied reasons (including medical relapses). Re-scheduling may cause additional waiting.

A child’s wish to meet a celebrity or sports figure may present a delay. In some situations, the waiting period may extend up to two years depending on the celebrity’s schedule.

When is the best time for a wish?
Families have told us that beginning the wish process at a time when the child is stressed, even if the wish itself is delayed until after treatment, is beneficial, giving the child something fun and positive on which to focus his/her attention. Also, the thought of having their wish to look forward to often help get them through treatment and hardships.

Is the whole family included in a wish?
Make-A-Wish Foundation is unique in that a child’s immediate family typically takes part in the wish. They should share in the joy and memories of their special time together through the wish experience.

What does the family pay for?
The Make-A-Wish Foundation takes care of everything: airline tickets, food, lodging, ride tickets, souvenirs, film development, party supplies, etc. Some items or services (such as airfare or lodging) may be donated.

Do gifts received during a wish ever have to be returned?
No!

What if my child is unable to complete a wish?
We hope that every qualified wish child and their family is given the opportunity to experience the magic and joy of a wish. However, because the Foundation’s mission is to grant the qualifying child’s wish, we cannot continue the planning process without the wish child present.

If a child becomes too ill to participate in the planned wish, the Make-A-Wish Foundation will wait until the time is better or will seek out a second wish that could be granted immediately. Furthermore, while many of our past wish children are living healthy, productive lives, we realize that some children may not survive to personally experience a wish. While we understand the entire family is affected by the child’s condition, completing the wish without the child’s participation is not our mission.

What if something happens to my child or family during the wish?
Wish team members and staff are on call 24 hours a day. In the event of an emergency, these individuals can be contacted for immediate assistance and/or re-scheduling of travel for an earlier return.

Is a child who has already received a wish from another wish-granting organization eligible to receive a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation?
No, a child who has received a wish from another organization is not eligible for a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Does the family's financial status matter?
No, economic background does not affect whether a child is eligible for a wish.

What if a family does not want publicity?
We respect and protect a child's and family's right to privacy. Publicity will never be sought without permission, and a family may decline publicity at any time.

Won't accepting a wish mean we've given up hope for our child's recovery?
We grant life-affirming wishes rather than last wishes. Many people mistakenly think we grant wishes for children with “terminal” conditions. We see wish granting as life-affirming and hope-filled. Families and medical personnel often tell us that a wish encourages a child to fight for and look forward to the future, especially when they are going through treatment. Nearly 80 percent of our wish children are expected to live past the age of 18.

We can afford to pay for a wish ourselves. If we accept this wish, will this be unfair to other, less fortunate, families?
Receiving a wish for your child does not take away from another child. We know that a catastrophic illness puts a 'fantasy wish' beyond the reach of almost every household--whether from financial or emotional devastation. We seek to bring elements of surprise, magic, and fun to the wish experience that many families could not achieve because of the daily stresses and emotional trauma of having a seriously ill child. We have never had to turn a wish down because of a lack of funds, and take pride in fulfilling a wish for every qualified referred child, regardless of race, creed, or economic status.

Are some families reluctant to accept a wish because it feels like taking charity?
The Make-A-Wish Foundation exists to enrich the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions, and their families, with hope, strength and joy. It’s what we do and we, and the hundreds of wish volunteers, are experts at it. A family should never feel that they are taking advantage…we want them to share the power of a wish^®.

There are several reasons why a family might hesitate to call us. A family might feel, for example, that they could grant a wish for their child themselves. We have found, however, that a family simply does not plan a fantasy vacation or event when challenged by life-threatening illness with its intense and disruptive treatment schedules and extreme stresses. Parents cannot find the psychological resources to carry out complex plans when day-to-day life requires so much from them.

A wish, moreover, often requires more than money for its implementation. A desire to meet a personal heroor design an action figure for Mattel may be something that parents alone cannot facilitate.

Nor is a family able to spend money on a child’s “wish” if that family is raising money for a transplant or struggling with the crushing burden of medical bills--even if the parents have jobs and insurance. A family need not be in poverty or on welfare to qualify for Make-A-Wish services. It is the medical condition of their child which qualifies that child, and the child’s need to experience renewed hope, strength, and joy.

We seek to bring magic to a child’s life at a time when the emotional stress of a serious illness is taking its toll. Wishes are magical things. When a child’s wish is fulfilled, it says, “it’s good to dream, it’s good to hope.” Discussing a wish is positive and optimistic. Even parents who initially resist calling the Make-A-Wish Foundation, later decide to let their own child be a part of this magical process.

Finally, even though it may seem that the wish family is the recipient of the gift of a wish, we find that volunteers, community members, and corporate donors are often very touched by the power of a wish. And so a child, through his wish, often gives to others much more than he receives himself.