Wish Fulfillment Organizations For many children with cancer, having a dream fulfilled by a wish organization creates a special, joyous memory. Dreams range from trips, to taking friends out for high tea, to getting a computer. Often parents think that wishes are available only for children in the last stages of their life, but this is not the case. Many organizations grant wishes to children in remission from cancer and other diseases or chronic conditions. Some questions you might ask when determining which organization to apply to are: Who is eligible for a wish fulfillment? Are there any geographic or other restrictions? Who makes the arrangements for the wish? What costs are covered by the wish organization? Who can accompany the child? Are there appropriate medical facilities where the wish will take place? How do we apply? When do we hear if the wish will be granted? Listing these organizations does not constitute endorsement. The best way to choose is through careful questioning of the organization and through recommendations from other families who have experience with the organization. B.A.S.E. Camp Children's Cancer Foundation c/o Terri Jones 4651 North Pine Hills Road Orlando, FL 32808 Phone: (408) 297-9648 (call for information and request form well in advance of arrival date) Fax: (407) 298-3928 Does not grant wishes, but does help obtain free or reduced price tickets to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and other central Florida attractions, for children with a hematology/oncology disease and their immediate family. The child with cancer must be on treatment when tickets are used. B.A.S.E. needs to receive a written request and doctor's statement (containing child's name, disease, and whether he/she is medically able to visit any central Florida attraction) between two and three weeks prior to your arrival date in Florida. The Brass Ring Society, Inc. National Headquarters 551 East Semoran Boulevard, Suite E-5 Fern Park, FL 32730 Phone: (800) 666-9474 Web: http://www.worldramp.net/brassring/index.html The society has chapters in all 50 states and grants wishes to children who suffer from life-threatening or terminal illnesses. The Children's Dream Factory of Maine Doris Simard or Skip Welch 400 US Rte. 1 Falmouth, ME 04105 Phone: (207) 781-3406 or (800) 639-1492 Grants wishes for chronically or seriously ill children from Maine. Children's Happiness Foundation PO Box 266 Marshfield, MA 02050 Phone: (617) 837-9609 or (800) 424-3543 Fax: (617) 837-5229 Serves New England children ages 3 to 18 with life-threatening or chronic degenerative diseases. Children's Wish Foundation International 8615 Roswell Road, Suite 301 Atlanta, GA 30350 Phone: (770) 393-WISH or (800) 323-WISH Fax: (404) 393-0683 Email: wish@childrenswish.org Web: http://www.childrenswish.org/ US or Europe. Fulfills wishes of terminally ill children. The Children's Wish Foundation Joel Jones, Director c/o New Hope Center 100 E. Sybelia Suite 300 Maitland, FL 32751 Phone: (407) 629-8920 Fax: (407) 629-7206 Orlando-based organization that grants wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses who have not yet reached their 18th birthday. Focuses primarily on children who reside in Florida, but has also granted wishes to children from other parts of the US, Canada, England, and Russia. The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada 95 Bayly Street, Suite 404 Ajax, Ontario Canada L1S 7K8 Phone: (905) 426-5656 Fax: (905) 426-4111 Web: http://www.childrenswish.ca/ The national office for the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada. The foundation has chapters located across Canada, so parents can contact the national office for the chapter closest to them. The goal of the foundation is to provide a once in a lifetime experience for children suffering from high risk life-threatening diseases. Children are eligible from 3 years of age and over but under the age of 18 years before the time the request is received. Dreams Come True, Inc. Emory Clinic-Peds. Heme/Onc 1365 Clifton Road NE Atlanta, GA 30322 Phone: (778) 248-3496 Serves any child with cancer or chronic blood disease treated at Emory University Heme/Onc Clinic. Dreams submitted by children. The Dream Factory, Inc. 1218 South Third Street Louisville, KY 40203 Phone: (800) 456-7556 Fax: (502) 584-0023 Web: http://www.dreamfactoryinc.com Chapters in 30 states. Grants wishes of children ages 3 to 13 who are seriously or chronically ill. Fulfill A Dream PO Box 3989 Fort Smith, AR 72913 Phone: (501) 785-4130 Serves eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. Fulfills dreams of children 17 or younger with life-threatening illness. Grant A Wish Foundation c/o Brian Morrison, Executive Director PO Box 21211 Baltimore, MD 21228 Phone: (410) 242-1549 or (800) 933-5470 Fax: (410) 242-8818 Web: http://www.grant-a-wish.org/index.htm Provides a variety of special services and programs (such as beach and mountain retreats, attending Orioles games) to any child up to 18 years of age who is being treated for cancer. Services are provided free of charge and are available on an ongoing basis throughout treatment. High Hopes Foundation of New Hampshire, Inc. Box 172 North Salem, NH 03073 Phone: (603) 898-5333 or (800) 639-6804 Web: http://www.highhopesnh.org/ Grants wishes of chronically ill children and children with life-threatening diseases in New Hampshire. Kids, Inc. 9300-D Old Keene Mill Road Burke, VA 22015 (703) 455-KIDS Grants unfulfilled wishes to gravely ill children 16 and younger anywhere in the US. The Lisa Madonia Memorial Fund 409 Veloit Forest Park, IL 60130 Phone: (708) 366-2057 Fax: (708) 366-2065 Charitable organization dedicated to granting wishes and providing support to 18 to 25 year olds with cancer. No geographic boundaries. Magic Moments c/o Children's Hospital of Alabama 1600 7th Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35233 Phone: (205) 939-9372 Fax: (205) 939-9189 Grants wishes to children 4 to 19 living or being treated in Alabama, who have chronic, life-threatening diseases, or who have severe trauma (burns, spinal cord, head trauma). Make A Wish Foundation of America 3350 North Central Ave, Suite 300 Phoenix, AZ 85012 Phone: (602) 279-WISH or (800) 722-WISH Fax: (602) 279-0855 Web: http://www.wish.org/ US and international chapters and affiliates. Grants wishes to children under the age of 18 with life-threatening illnesses. Make A Wish Foundation of Canada 2239 Oak Street Vancouver, BC V6H 3W6 Phone: (604) 739-WISH or (888) 822-WISH Fax: (604) 739-9422 Web: http://www.makeawish.ca/ National office and 9 chapters across Canada. Grants wishes to children under 18 with life-threatening illnesses. Marty Lyons Foundation 333 Earle Ovington Blvd. Suite 600 PO Box 9323 Mitchell Field, NY 11553 Phone: (516) 745-8966 or (800) 232-7887 Chapters in New Jersey, New York, and Florida provide a special wish to children ages 3 to 17 who are terminally ill or have a chronic life-threatening disease. Operation Liftoff of Ohio PO Box 1094 Gallipolis, OH 45631 Fulfills a dream for children in Ohio and surrounding states who have a life-threatening illness. Rotary Wishing Well, Inc. Jim Hogue 10900 NE 8th Street #900 Bellevue, WA 98004 Phone: (206) 462-4606 Fax: (206) 454-4383 Serves Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Arkansas. Provides significant life experiences for children 4 to 19 with life-threatening or chronic diseases. A Special Wish Foundation, Inc. 2244 S. Hamilton Road, Suite 202 Columbus, OH 43232 Phone: (615) 575-WISH or (800) 486-WISH Web: http://www.spwish.org/ The Starlight Children's Foundation International Headquarters 5900 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2530 Los Angeles, CA 90035 Phone: (323) 634-0080 Web: http://www.starlight.org/ The Starlight Foundation has chapters in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Contact the international office in Los Angeles, California for further information. The foundation exists to fulfill wishes for seriously, chronically, and terminally ill children age 4 through 18 years. Sunshine Foundation PO Box 255 5400 County Road 547 N Loughman, FL 33858 Phone: (813) 424-4188 or (800) 457-1976 No geographic boundaries. Grants wishes to chronically or terminally ill children, ages 3 to 21. The Sunshine Foundation of Canada 148 Fullerton Street, Unit 1710 London, Ontario Canada N6A 4P3 Phone: (800) 461-7935 Fax: (519) 642-1201 Web: http://www.sunshinefoundation.org/ The Sunshine Foundation of Canada has chapters across the country. Call the national office and ask for the chapter closest to you. The foundation works to fulfill the dreams of children who are challenged by life threatening illnesses or severe physical disabilities. Dreams are granted for children between 3 to 19 years of age. Teddi Project c/o Camp Good Days and Special Times 1332 Pittsford-Mendon Road Mendon, NY 14506 Phone: (716) 624-5555 or (800) 785-2135 Fax: (716) 624-5799 Priority given to children from Central Florida and the upstate New York area, especially Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Binghamton. Serves chronically or terminally ill children ages 7 to 17. Wish Upon a Star California Law Enforcement Maureen Logan, Director PO Box 4000 Visalia, CA 93278 Phone: (209) 733-7753 Serves children in the state of California. Nonprofit, law enforcement effort designed to grant wishes of children afflicted with high-risk and terminal illnesses. Wish With Wings, Inc. Pat Skaggs or Kim Clark PO Box 3479 Arlington, TX 76007 Phone: (817) 469-9474 Fax: (817) 275-6005 Serves children living in or being treated in Texas. Grants wishes for children 3 to 16 with life-threatening diseases. The Wishing Star Foundation Doug Raper, Director; Sharon Johnson, Wish Coordinator 539 W. Sharp Spokane, WA 99201 Phone: (509) 325-9803 or (800) 685-6956 Fax: (509) 325-1778 Web: http://www.wishingstar.org/ Serves Idaho, eastern Washington, and some areas of Oregon and Nevada. Grants wishes to children 3 to 19 with life-threatening diseases. Wishing Well Foundation Jim Reid PO Box 717 St. Louis, MO 63188 Phone: (314) 272-6190 Web: http://www.wishingwellusa.org/ Grants wishes to children in the St. Louis area only who are chronically or terminally ill. This fact sheet was adapted from Childhood Cancer: A Parent's Guide to Solid Tumor Cancers, by Honna Janes-Hodder and Nancy Keene, © 2001 by Patient-Centered Guides. For more information, call (800) 998-9938 or see www.patientcenters.com.