Make-A-Wish Foundation

Little kid who gets to be Batman for a day is a pretty sweet wish come true.

I admit it, I never gave Make-​A-​Wish much thought before this week. And maybe that’s kind of human nature to not really think of something until it touches your life.
And honestly, it makes me horribly sad to think Make-​A-​Wish is part of my daily conversation now. But it is, and Thank God for them.

My sister is a single mother of two.
Her life is harder than most, but if you were to ask what she thinks of her life she would without hesitation tell you that she is the most blessed person on the planet.
The younger of her two girls is living with Rett Syndrome. Rett syndrome is a disorder of the nervous system that leads to developmental reversals. Her condition requires constant care and her life over the last 18 years has been spent in and out of hospitals and at times been in Intensive Care for three months. Her condition makes things we take for granted like short trips to the grocery store a challenge.
My sister has done whatever possible to make my niece’s life as normal as possible. She works hard to show her love and support and include make her life fulfilling and meaningful.
Being a single mother is financially hard, but if you needed a dollar my sister would be the first to give you that dollar. She is by far the most giving person you will ever meet. She always puts others needs first over her own.
With the unpredictability of my niece’s medical condition, planning for outings and family events has always been a challenge. Two years ago, my sister was on a mission. She wanted to take her to San Diego and have swim with dolphins at Sea World. None of us said anything to her, but we all thought the same thing. How in the hec is this going to happen? The chances of her not being in the hospital during this planned trip are ⁵⁰⁄₅₀. And she is applying to Make a Wish which receives millions of requests a year, so the odds are stacked against her. Even though we all would have loved to see this become a reality none of her friends or family thought this would ever be a reality.
Imagine our surprise when two months later my sister received a phone call from Make a Wish telling her that they would be sending her and both of my nieces to San Diego to swim with the dolphins. Great news, but there is still the work of having her be healthy for the trip and how would she handle the plane trip down? Again we found ourselves doubting that this wish would ever come true.
Never doubt my sister.
The day came and my sister and her two awesome kids hopped a Southwest flight to San Diego. My sisters and brothers from Newport Beach and Irvine made the short drive to San Diego and were there to meet and greet them and accompany them to Sea World. Make a Wish also had volunteers at both ends to make sure things went as smoothly as possible to ensure that they have the most amazing experience as possible.
Do not ever tell my sister that she can’t do something. Every single day of the year she does the impossible and makes wonderful things happen. And with the help with of Make a Wish once again she was able to put smiles on her two amazing daughters.

Amazing in every way.
I’ve wanted to become involved in Make-​A-​Wish ever since I was in high school and now that I’m near a chapter, I couldn’t be happier to have become a volunteer for this foundation!
I’ve been a volunteer for about a year now and am blown away by how organized, committed and passionate the staff is. They truly work themselves to the bone for the sake of making a child’s dream come to life as best as it possibly can– from arranging a Meet and Greet with Obama (which led to a spot near the stage on Election Night AND the Inauguration Ceremony!) to working w/​Ghiradelli, the Ritz Carlton, and One Market so that an 8 year old girl can be a pastry chef for a day, they give them their all.
It’s one thing to be an organization that enriches the lives of children w/​life threatening diseases, but it’s also another thing to know how to effectively manage it. Every person I have been in contact with at Make-​A-​Wish has been on the ball w/​correspondence, scheduling training dates, and advising on wish granting ever since I’ve started. They’re also great at presenting opportunities for you to help out– whether it be meeting a Wish family at a nearby airport, assisting a Wish kid on a shopping spree, interviewing a Wish kid (to learn what kind of wish they’d like granted), etc. they know how to help you get involved in the organization. One of the best parts of volunteering for Make-​A-​Wish, is that they are also very understanding about their volunteers’ busy work schedules. They have a well-​thought out system to make it easy for volunteers to become involved at a time that works best for them.
All in all, I couldn’t be anymore proud to be a part of the Make-​A-​Wish Foundation. My heart becomes more full everytime I work w/​them.
As cheesy as it is, it’s true.

It honestly doesn’t get much better than this charity. From the outstanding volunteers, dedicated staff — to the mission that is just awe inspiring.
I am so proud to be a donor and volunteer — for almost 10 years now.
p. s. The chapter is getting ready to celebrate its 5,000^th wish soon!

You know, I used to Make-​A-​Wish for granted until I got involved with them. I always thought, dismissively, that they were the «super do good» organizations with goo gobs of funders who got all the publicity in the world they wanted. Then I met the people who work there and the kids who benefit from their deeply compassionate, tireless, and loving hard work.
The Bay Area Chapter is about to celebrate its 4,000^th wish granted. It blows my mind. 4,000 young people who have life-​threatening illnesses have had special dreams met because of the thousands of people who work for MAW, volunteer there, give money, donate products and services, and simply WISH them all the best all of the time. I don’t know how many times I have cried at MAW events when I see how the simplest act of kindness can lift up the spirits of a young person so deep in struggle.
It takes tons of work, determination, and burning the midnight oil to keep MAW going so successfully, and I heartily encourage everyone to get involved too!