Wish Impact Study
The Healing Impact of a Wish
Since its beginning in 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has granted over 250,000 wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. When seeking donations for our Central & South Texas chapter which fulfills upward of 220 wishes a year, we are often asked about the impact of a wish on the child, the child’s family and the community at large.
A recent study of over 2,000 Make-A-Wish® families and volunteers conducted in 2010 by the national Make-A-Wish Foundation highlights compellingly that the wish experience is viewed by wish families and participating volunteers as far more than an enjoyable experience. In fact, the study reveals that a wish is a vital part of the battle against life-threatening medical conditions, and is a powerful force for creating stronger communities.
For example, the survey results indicate:
- 89 percent of parents observed increases in wish kids’ emotional strength, which can help them improve their health status.
- 81 percent of parents observed an increased willingness by their wish kids to comply with treatment protocols.
- 74 percent saw the wish experience as a positive turning point in the wish kids’ battle against their illnesses.
- 97 percent of parents said the wish experience strengthened their families and gave them the opportunity to be a “normal” family again.
- 91 percent of volunteers and 94 percent of wish parents expressed a deeper commitment to philanthropy and volunteering
This landmark study is full of data quantifying the value of granting wishes. To see a summary of the study, please click on the link below. Or, for the full Impact Study, please click the second link denoted below.
Thank you for being a supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Working together, all of us are having an incredible, and now documented, impact on the lives of some very special young people and their families.
