Make A Wish Foundation: Hope, Joy, Strength, Children And Medical Conditions

Almost everyone in the world today at some point has known someone who has been struck by a life threatening illness. People know the hardship, heartache, and physical and emotional distress this can put on not only the patient but also the family. As hard as it is for adults to deal with a severe illness, it affects children even more. That's why organizations like the Make a Wish Foundation have sprung up throughout the world to help children and families develop lasting memories with each other in their short time together. Make a Wish Foundation is a wonderful gift of joy and hope to thousands of children throughout the world.

Make a Wish Foundation was founded in Arizona in 1980, as a means to grant a young boy diagnosed with leukemia the opportunity to live out his dream of becoming a police officer. Make a Wish Foundation quickly grew to become one of the largest non-profit organizations in the world, with offices granting wishes in 30 different countries by 2005.

To qualify to have a wish granted by the Make a Wish Foundation, a child and his or her parents must go through several steps. First, the children must have a diagnosed and physician confirmed medical condition that has been deemed life threatening. Additionally, Make a Wish Foundation will only grant wishes to children between the ages of 2 1/2 and 18, and only if they've not received a wish from another organization.

Make a Wish Foundation makes an effort to fill every child's wish, though they will refuse if the wish cannot be fulfilled or if it is too outlandish. Many athletic teams, celebrities, and other organizations volunteer their time and money to grant wishes. Among the major companies who have donated significant efforts to Make a Wish are Disney, ESPN, and World Wrestling Entertainment, whose founders Vince and Linda McMahon serve on the Make a Wish Foundation board. Blizzard Entertainment, the makers of the World of Warcraft computer game, recently made a media splash by granting a young boy the joy of having his character permanently enshrined in the game world, along with his own unique items to use in the game.

Many children and their families admit that while dealing with the children's medical condition is tough, Make a Wish Foundation brings a lot of joy and hope into the child's life. Even at their most physically weak, a visit from their favorite sports hero or a WWE Superstar like Mick Foley, who has donated thousands of hours and dollars to children's charities, can give them an incredible amount of strength. A little bit of strength and will power can go a long way to help fight the harshest diseases.

There's no doubt that the Make a Wish Foundation helps change young lives for the better. While, sadly, there is often nothing that can be done to save these children from the illnesses that are affecting them, there is an obligation for healthy individuals to help make their young lives as memorable and good as possible. Whether that means a trip to Disney World, a visit from a baseball player or even a new character in a video game, Make a Wish Foundation strives to bring strength, joy, hope, and peace to thousands of these children when they need it the most.


Sources:
Our Mission. Make a Wish Foundation. 2006-2007. 25 June 2007. http://www.wish.org/about/our_mission.
“Make A Wish Foundation.” Wikipedia. 15 June 2007. 25 June 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_a_Wish_Foundatio n.
Chuang, Tamara. “Blizzard Makes WoW Wish Virtual Reality.” Orange County Register. 23 May 2007. 25 June 2007. http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/money/article _1702706.php.
Crystal. “Make a Wish Foundation Review.” Associated Content. 16 Feb. 2007. 25 June 2007. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/144466/ma ke_a_wish_foundation_review.html.