BY JULIE KIM
I need your help finding eligible children to fulfill their wishes. Make-A-Wish New Hampshire’s mission is to create life-changing wishes for all children facing a critical illness at no cost to their families.
Julie Kim
We can make a child’s dream come true so they can enjoy a princess extravaganza at Disney World, swim with dolphins in Hawaii, hear the night owls in a camper, or connect with friends and family across the country with the assistance of a computer.
Make-A-Wish of New Hampshire can fulfill wishes, but we cannot find all the eligible children. Based upon New Hampshire’s statistics, we are finding approximately 75% of eligible children. Help us find the additional 25% of children deserving of a wish.
Any child with a critical illness, older than 2½ years and younger than 18 years, is eligible for a wish. Critical illnesses include diagnoses which are progressive, degenerative or malignant, and more. Eligible children can be found in all types of clinics such as cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, neurology and orthopedics. Certainly, eligible children are in your neighborhoods, places of worship, classrooms and playgrounds.
Anyone who understands the complexities of a child’s medical condition, such as a close family member, family friend or teacher, can make a referral. A parent can also make a referral by using the online referral form. Do not assume that a child has already been referred by their medical or educational team. If someone is not sure a child is eligible, please contact us online or by phone for an informal conversation. We are here to help you and want to find every potential Wish child.
What happens after a referral is made? All referrals are reviewed using national guidelines for eligibility. Many diagnoses are quickly approved. But sometimes a child does not have a specific diagnosis but has a constellation of symptoms, or their medical status has changed, or they have a rare disease. We do not want to miss any possible child, so Make-A-Wish has medical advisors at the national and local levels to review cases to identify any criteria that could make the child eligible.
Children who meet eligibility requirements begin an exciting journey. They meet with trained wish granters who learn about the child’s interests. A child’s imagination is varied and endless, as are the ways we fulfill a wish. One child wanted to be a book author, and we arranged printing of one of her stories as well as a book-signing event at a local bookstore. Another child wanted to experience Broadway. Another wanted to be a police officer for a day.
Children eligible for a wish have earned it through their resilience in a challenging situation. A wish is transformative not only for a child but also for those who have contributed to making the wish experience possible. I am a pediatric oncologist. I can treat a child’s cancer, but I cannot treat a child’s soul in the way a wish can. It can be hard to be joyful in the midst of medical treatment. But if I ask a patient about their wish, a new hopefulness emerges.
Children envision possibilities where their diagnoses do not limit them. They dare to dream. They look to the future. Wishes provide a concrete opportunity for optimism which is crucial to emotional well-being. For families, it is proof that they are not alone in caring for their child. A wish touches and changes everyone involved.
Please help us find children who are eligible for a wish. Be part of this amazing Make-A-Wish family and help us transform the lives of children with a critical illness.
Julie Kim, M.D., Ph.D., is a pediatric hematologist and oncologist and associate professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and Dartmouth Health. She is the president of the New Hampshire Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a board member for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire, and a board member for David’s House, which provides a home-away-from home for families with children receiving treatment through Dartmouth Health Children’s.
