Who is eligible to receive a wish?
To be eligible for a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a child must be between the ages of 2½ and 18 years at the time of referral and have a life-threatening medical condition that will be verified by their physician. Any child who has already been granted a wish by the Make-A-Wish Foundation or another wish-granting organization is not eligible for a second wish.

Are a family's income or financial resources considered?
The income of a family plays no part in determining a child's eligibility for a wish.

What do most children wish for?
Wishes reflect a heartfelt desire of a child. A wish may be for something grand and complex or it may be for something simple and basic. Most wish requests fall into four major categories:

I wish to go — Some Make-A-Wish kids want to travel to their favorite theme park, while others want to visit an exotic beach, go on a cruise, see snow for the first time, or attend a major sporting event or concert.

I wish to be — Children search the depths of their imagination when they wish to be someone for a day - a fireman, a police officer, a model, or a zookeeper, for instance.

I wish to meet — Many children want to meet their favorite athlete, recording artist, television personality, movie star, cartoon character, politician, or public figure.

I wish to have — Children often wish for a special gift, like a computer, a club house, a shopping spree, or something that they have wanted for a long time.

Is the family included in the wish?
Every effort is made to include the child's immediate family in the wish experience.

Are there restrictions on a wish?
We work hard to fulfill every child's heartfelt wish. To be sure each child gains the maximum benefit of a wish experience, we work with the child's physician to determine the appropriateness and the timing of the wish.

How are wishes fulfilled?
Teams of two Make-A-Wish volunteers work with staff to coordinate the details of each child's wish . . . making sure each wish is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, created specifically for that child and incorporating all their hopes and dreams. Once a child's medical eligibility is confirmed, our wish volunteers contact and visit with the child and family. The child's wish begins with the opportunity to envision his or her most heartfelt desire as our volunteers ask: "If you could have anything you wanted . . . go anywhere . . . meet anyone . . . have anything, what would that be?" Inviting a child to imagine happiness in the midst of difficult times is an important part of the life-enhancing process that the wish experience offers.

What is the average value of a wish?
The average value of a wish in the Michigan chapter is more than $8,000, with the cash expense averaging $5,000. This varies, as the wishes themselves vary from a terrier puppy, with all necessary puppy supplies, to a sight-seeing adventure in Hawaii. Once we know a child's most heartfelt wish, we do our best to make that wish come true.

How are wishes paid for?
Funding for wishes comes from individual contributions, special events, school fundraisers, corporate donations and sponsorships, foundation grants, workplace giving programs and planned gifts. Each chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation is responsible for raising and managing the funds needed to grant the wishes of children within their area. Wish expenses are fully covered by the Make-A-Wish chapter granting the wish. This will often include travel expenses, lodging, meals, and even spending money. Our objective is to provide the child and family with memories of joy that are not clouded with the worries of expenses.