How a Wish Happens
Make-A-Wish has a dedicated team of Wishgranters. Here is a story from one of the team.
Did you ever wonder how we grant a wish?
Wishgranter Joanne explains:
I love getting new Wishes! Each child has their own idea of exactly what their true wish is, which presents its own challenges. My job is to find out exactly what the wish child desires so the memory of their wish will last for ever, however long "forever" might be.
The first thing I do is find out as much as I can about the child. This includes the child's medical history, what equipment may be required and members of the family who will also be taking part in the wish. This information has been gathered during the referral process and is contained in the child's file.
Once I have familiarised myself with this I'll make the initial phone call, usually to the parents. I like to really get to know the wishchild, their likes and dislikes, why they have asked for their particular wish to be granted and what exactly their expectations are. The families are always thrilled that we are able to grant something so special for their child. A wish is something above and beyond what can easily be arranged by a family themselves.
There are four kinds of wish:
- I wish to meet
- I wish to be
- I wish to own
- I wish to go
Once I have got to know my wishchild a little better I can start to arrange the wish. If a wishchild wished to go on a shopping trip to London for example, I would need to book a hotel, book a limousine, make travel arrangements, arrange meals and refreshments and anything else that will make the wish truly unforgettable. A child's idea of shopping can range from designer footwear, electronic games, music/film CD/DVD's and instruments to pink limousines and fairy outfits! Whatever we are asked to do, their wish is our command.
I always get a bit nervous when I know the wish is about to happen (always expect the unexpected!) but once I know that everything has run smoothly and the wishchild has had a wish that exceeded their expectations, I'm happy.
My job can be like riding a rollercoaster of emotions sometimes. There are moments that are happy, for instance when I arrange a wish that has been challenging and I receive a letter from the wishchild telling me how this wish made a difference to their life and gave them a real boost when they really needed it. Then there are moments that are heartbreaking, like when I hear that a wishchild has passed away. Often these tragic times bring with them the most poignant letters from parents. These are the days when I find myself hugging my own children a little tighter.