FAQ

What Does The Make-A-Wish Foundation® Do?
We grant the wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
How Does Make-A-Wish Find Out About Potential Wish Children?
Requests can be made by a parent, legal guardian, the wish child, or a medical professional.
How Do You "Grant" Wishes?
Any child over the age of 2 ½ and under the age of 18 who has a life-threatening medical condition and has not received a wish from another wish granting organization qualifies for a wish. It is the child's primary doctor who determines whether or not a child has a life-threatening medical condition. Once qualified, a team of two Make-A-Wish volunteers visits the child to determine his or her wish. Then, Make-A-Wish works with local businesses, volunteers, and donors, to help fulfill the wish of the child.
What Do Children Wish For?
The wish requests we receive are as unique as the children who make them. The majority of wishes fall into four categories:

Destination:                       "I want to go..."
Occupation:                       "I want to be..." 
Celebrity/Hero:                  "I want to meet..." 
Special Gifts:                     "I want to have..."

A wish is limited only by the child's imagination. Make-A-Wish provides the structure, but it is the child's request that determines what Make-A-Wish will do. Some examples of recently granted wishes include: magical journeys to Disney World...lap top computers...visit to the Super Bowl...swimming with dolphins...even a play house!
How Many Wishes Do You Grant Each Year?
Last year, over 700 wishes were granted by the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Kentucky and Indiana offices. 76% of your donation goes directly to the funding of wishes.
Where Do You Get Funds?
Our Foundation is supported through local donations from individuals, corporations, small businesses, civic organizations, churches, schools, social and service clubs, fund-raising events, memorial contributions, foundations, and pay-roll deduction programs as well as our own special events. It is possible to support Make-A-Wish during the United Way campaign by utilizing the Donor Voice option. The Make-A-Wish Foundation does NOT engage in door-to-door or telephone solicitation.
If I Donate Money to Your Chapter, Does It Stay In Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana?
Absolutely! All local contributions are used to fulfill the wishes of children in our local regions.
Does Your Current Purpose Statement Now Expand the Pool of Potentially Eligible Children You Now Serve?
No. It simply clarifies our eligibility parameters, which for many years had been subject to varying interpretation by many referral sources. Its primary qualifier describes in greater detail what we mean by a "life-threatening medical condition," i.e., a progressive, degenerative or malignant medical condition that has placed the child's life in jeopardy.
Regardless Of Your Guidelines, I've Heard That A Child Must Ultimately Be Terminally Ill In Order To Receive A Wish. Is This True?
No. By eliminating the reference in our previous Purpose Statement about serving "children with terminal illnesses," our revised Purpose Statement now clearly establishes that children need not be dying in order to be served by the Make-A-Wish Foundation®. It also reinforces the life-affirming aspect of our mission: to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.
Is There A Minimum Age For Children That You Serve?
The Make-A-Wish Foundation serves children who are under the age of 18 at the time of referral, and at least 2½ years of age at that time.
I Noticed That Your Mission And Purpose Statements Now Refer To Life-Threatening "Medical Conditions" Instead Of "Illnesses." Does That Mean That A Child With A Trauma-Related Condition (i.e., Severe Burns, Injuries From Accidents) Would Also Qualify For A Wish?
Maybe, but this depends squarely on the outcome of the trauma-related condition. If a severe injury results in a medical condition that is progressive, degenerative, or malignant, and has placed the child's life in jeopardy, then yes, a child would medically qualify. If a trauma case does not result in a life-threatening medical condition as described here, the child would not medically qualify.
What Kinds Of Medical Conditions Typically Qualify A Child To Receive A Wish?
Most qualifying conditions fall under one of the following categories:

Cardiology - Gastroenterology - Hematology/Oncology - Immunology - Nephrology - Neurology Pulmonology - Rheumatology - Transplants - Urology

Please note: Under each category of the Make-A-Wish Foundation's Medical List, many conditions contain specific qualifying criteria. Your local Make-A-Wish chapter can provide any necessary clarification on any specific condition as necessary.
What If A Child's Illness Does Not Appear On Your Medical List?
The Foundation's Medical List includes conditions for each category that are most common among the children we serve. However, medical conditions not included on the Foundation's Medical List may also qualify a child for a wish based on the life-threatening medical condition as defined previously. Check with the child's referring physician for any necessary clarification on a life-threatening medical condition that does not appear on the list.