IDAHO, USA — Make-A-Wish Idaho granted 140 wishes in 2023, setting a record number of granting kids wishes two years in a row. In 2022 the organization granted 127 and they hope to do more every year.
In the 2023/24 fiscal year half of the wishes from children were to go to a Disney theme park, others asked for shopping sprees and traveling to special destinations.
The organization has enough funds in place to grant 160 wishes next year and wanted to remind people that Make-A-Wish Idaho is not just for children with a terminal prognosis. Additionally, most kids referred to the nonprofit survive their illness.
"However, the nonprofit speculates that there are a significant number of Idaho children who are eligible for wishes but don't know they are because they believe that wishes are only for children with a terminal prognosis. This is not the case. Wishes are designed to help children and their families cope with the short- and long-term emotional trauma that often accompanies the diagnosis and years-long treatment of a critical illnesses like cancer or kidney disease," the nonprofit stated.
Make-A-Wish Idaho has granted over 2,000 wishes so far.
People can learn more about referring a child and how they can help at wish.org/refer-a-child.
