HILVERSUM (March 27, 2025) Make-A-Wish International is marking 45 years of granting life-changing wishes this April with the launch of World Wish Month. These wishes are made possible by the dedication of “WishMakers”—donors, volunteers, and supporters around the world. To reach their goal of bringing the transformative power of a wish to every eligible child, Make-A-Wish International is urging the public to join the ranks of WishMakers at worldwish.org.
World Wish Month culminates on April 29, World Wish Day, celebrating the original WishMakers who granted 7-year-old Chris’ wish to be a police officer in 1980. This event sparked the global wish-granting movement, resulting in over 615,000 life-changing wishes granted for children with critical illnesses around the world.
Recent research has documented the powerful effects of the wish-granting experience on children with critical illnesses and their families with an overwhelming 97% of children agreeing that a wish experience is important for every eligible child with a critical illness. It found lasting positive outcomes for children and their families which include positive emotions like joy and happiness, improved well-being and feelings of self-efficacy.*
Wishes have been shown to bring lasting positive impacts to children facing critical illnesses, including improved physical and mental wellbeing. This World Wish Month, we encourage everyone to become a WishMaker by donating, fundraising or getting involved in other ways to help make wishes come true for children with critical illnesses around the world."
Luciano Manzo, President and CEO at Make-A-Wish International
One little girl who has experienced the power of a wish is 6-year-old Jen from New Zealand who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Chemotherapy drained Jen’s energy and changed her once playful spirit. Her mother, Helen, recalled, “Jen became a different person from before she started her [treatment] journey,” Helen explains. “She was more tired, and she didn’t want to play as much.”
Jen loves superheroes and longed to see the world from up high. Her wish was to fly in a helicopter. When the day of her wish arrived, she soared above the city, even spotting her hospital below. “This is so fun! I’m having so much fun!” she cheered. After the ride, she and her family enjoyed a teddy bear’s picnic, making for a perfect ending to a magical day that allowed Jen and her family to once again experience life beyond illness.
Wishes like Jen’s are only possible with the support of WishMakers—from volunteers and corporate partners to donors. Learn more about becoming a WishMaker at worldwish.org.
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*Roberts, H., Cook, J., Lee, A., Loh, W. K., Teo, N., Yoong, J. S. Y., & Gorter-Stam, M. (2024). Wish-granting interventions promote positive emotions in both the short and long term in children with critical illnesses and their families. Children, 12(1), 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12010047
About Make-A-Wish International
Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Founded in 1980, Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, having granted more than 615,000 wishes in nearly 50 countries and territories worldwide. Every 25 seconds, a child is diagnosed with a critical illness and becomes eligible for a wish. Wish experiences can restore the childhood stolen by a critical illness diagnosis and improve physical, psychological and emotional well-being. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 27,000 volunteers around the globe, Make-A-Wish brings the power of a wish-come-true to children and their families when they need it most. For more information about Make-A-Wish International, visit worldwish.org.
