MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION

11/11, birthday candles, and shooting stars -opportunities to Make a Wish.

Even though most of our childhood wishes of owning a pony or being a princess do not often come to fruition, the folks at The Make a Wish Foundation are making these dreams a reality for children with life threatening illnesses.

The Make a Wish Foundation has expanded the designated times our society has “allowed” for wish making. For them, wishes should be made and can be granted any time.

Ranging from police station visits to Disneyland holidays, the exhilaration is apparent. As “a source of inspiration for children undergoing difficult medical treatments and a positive force that helps them overcome their obstacles [, a] wish experience is often more than a dream come true: It’s the catalyst that rekindles their belief in themselves and the promise of their future.”

Shuttling between doctor appointments and medical procedures, it is often hard even for the most optimistic to remain positive.

Sometimes they just need an escape, a brief fantasy.

So in swoops the Make a Wish Fairy.

While 40% of Make a Wish wishes involve a visit to Disney in some way, Christopher James Greicius’ wish in 1980, which ultimately started the foundation, involved a visit to the police station. Dreaming of becoming a police officer when he got older, 7 year old Chris was indeed part of the police force for one day. Clad in a custom made police officer uniform accompanied by a motorcade, Chris forgot about suffering from leukemia for that day.

At that moment, his wish was a normal part of his world and his routine.

With some help from “NBC Magazine,” Chris’ wish making story became the norm for sick children around the world. Since its humble beginnings in 1980 to its worldwide success today, 198,004 wishes have been granted, that’s one wish every 40 minutes.

While so many of us are caught up in our daily routines, often frustrated by life’s insignificant trials and tribulations, there are unique souls, albeit physically sick ones, who have not given up on their dreams. In fact, they have found a way to achieve them.

For them, impossible does not exist.

Please visit wish.org for more information.

(The Make a Wish Foundation gives strength and joy to ill children around the world through wish-granting work.)