Wish foundations are nonprofit organizations that fulfill the wishes of children with life-limiting diseases — including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Wish foundations are dedicated to creating unforgettable experiences, bringing joy and fun to the child and their family. They are financed by donations, corporate sponsorships, grants and fundraising events.
How do wish foundations benefit children with DMD?
The life-changing experiences made possible by wish organizations are intended to provide an escape from treatment and medical routines. The benefits of these experiences are many:
- Provide positive distraction from medical treatment.
- Offer feelings of hope and strength.
- Reduce anxiety and depression, improving quality of life.
- Strengthen family relationships by involving the whole family.
- Create happy memories.
Research has found that children who are granted wishes are less likely to have unplanned hospitalizations after the experience. Anecdotally, many wish recipients say they feel a new sense of optimism after the experience.
What are the most common wishes?
Wishes can take the form of a wide range of experiences, including:
- Meeting a celebrity.
- Visiting a theme park, sporting event, concert or city.
- Receiving gifts of technology or home comforts.
- Spending a day as a firefighter, movie star or fashion model.
Each experience is unique and tailored to the recipient. Make-A-Wish Foundation International is the world’s largest wish foundation and has granted more than 585,000 wishes in 40 countries.
Find more helpful links and resources about DMD
How can you apply to have your child’s wish granted?
To receive a wish, your child will need to meet certain criteria. These criteria can vary from one wish foundation to another. For example, the Make-A-Wish Foundation accepts referrals for children with a critical illness (progressive, degenerative or malignant) who are between 2.5 and 18 years old and who have not received a wish from another charitable wish-granting organization. The Sunshine Foundation has similar requirements, but only fulfills wishes of children whose families have limited incomes, and Cherished Creations grants wishes to those up to 21 years old.
Though every organization is different, many will grant wishes to children living with Duchenne. To apply, here are the general steps:
- Choose a wish foundation to contact.
- Your child will need to be referred by a family member, medical provider or school social worker. Some organizations allow parents to refer their child.
- When the foundation receives your referral, they will contact your medical team to verify the medical information and check that the recipient is physically able to participate.
- If your referral is accepted, your family will meet the organization’s wish granting team to choose a wish.
- Once it is confirmed, in most cases everything from travel and accommodations to logistics will be taken care of by the wish organization.
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