Wish Eligibility

A wish referral can be made by:

✔ Parents or legal guardians
✔ Medical professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses, social workers)
✔ The child themselves

A critical illness is a serious medical condition that is life-threatening and significantly impacts a child’s well-being.

We define critical illness as a condition that:

• Requires high-risk therapy to survive

• Results in technology dependence

• Causes extreme long-term complications

• Carries a high risk of death, even if not listed specifically

While each child’s condition is assessed individually, eligibility is determined based on medical criteria set by Make-A-Wish International, with confirmation from the child’s treating physician.

There are different types of critical illness from infectious diseases to genetic disorders. At Make-A-Wish, we list twelve specialties, each with common qualifying conditions a child could have which would make them eligible for a wish. These are:

• Neurology (e.g. SMA, Rett syndrome, uncontrolled epilepsy)

• Cardiology (e.g. complex congenital defects, heart failure, transplant)

• Hematology (e.g. sickle cell disease, aplastic anemia, SCID)

• Genetics (e.g. trisomy 13/18, skeletal dysplasias, metabolic syndromes)

• Oncology (e.g. leukemia, stem cell transplants, brain tumors

• Pulmonology (e.g. cystic fibrosis, ventilator dependence, severe asthma)

• Immunology (e.g. SCID, chronic granulomatous disease, HIV with complications)

•  Endocrinology (e.g. Gaucher disease, thyroid cancer with treatment, Tay-Sachs)

• Rheumatology (e.g. chronic vasculitis, lupus with organ damage)

• Nephrology (e.g. kidney failure, dialysis-dependent disease, nephrotic syndrome)

• Infectious Disease (e.g. chronic uncontrolled infections, post-bone marrow transplant complications)

• Gastroenterology (e.g. liver failure, bowel transplant, short bowel syndrome)

If you are unsure whether the condition affecting your child or a child you know qualifies for a wish, you can contact us.

Wishes are granted to children aged 3-17 years who have been diagnosed with a critical illness. Applications are accepted by each Make-A-Wish Affiliate or Licensed Territory for children living in that country.

Once a child is deemed eligible, our team works closely with the family to create a unique wish experience. A wish can provide hope, joy, and strength to children and their loved ones during challenging times.

A wish is a carefully planned journey, designed to compliment a child’s medical treatment and give them the joy, hope and resilience they need to face their illness. Our wish granters work closely with the family to bring the child’s unique wish to life; creating a life-changing experience that can improve their psychological, physical and emotional well-being.

Learn more about the Wish Journey