At Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire, our mission is to grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses in our local communities and bring hope to children and their families when they need it most. With 527 critically ill children currently waiting for their wishes to be granted in Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties, we are committed to decreasing the number of children waiting for their wishes, reducing the amount of time they are waiting, and providing hope and strength to help fight against their critical illnesses.

Every 20 minutes, a child is diagnosed with a critical illness. In the midst of a worldwide health crisis, a family in your community also hears the devastating news that their child has been diagnosed with a critical illness. Hospital stays, doctor visits and treatments mean their lives will never be the same. With COVID-19, new health worries are also present bringing added isolation and vulnerability for Wish kids and their families. Since its inception, Make-A-Wish has understood that when a wish is granted, a child replaces fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope. We believe that every child deserves a childhood and that now, more than ever, children with critical illnesses and their families need hope.

A 2022 nationwide Wish Impact Survey of wish recipients and families showed that a large majority of Make-A-Wish alumni, parents, and medical providers overwhelmingly agree that the wish experience contributes substantially to physical, mental, and emotional health; and was a necessary part of the medical treatment journey, improved the odds of survival, provided a support system and better health outcomes, and gave the child a better chance of recovering from their critical illness.

Make-A-Wish has the ability to impact, not only these children, but also the families who are equally affected by the child’s illness. For these families, a wish empowers and inspires them to comply with treatment, manage their way through the tough days, and look ahead to something that gives them hope. When a wish comes true, it creates strength, hope and transformation in a child – and a community.

Funding from the Anderson Children’s Foundation will allow us to grant more wishes and decrease the number of children waiting for their wish, reduce the amount of time that a child waits for their wish, and bring hope and joy to waiting wish kids who are isolated and vulnerable. When a wish comes true, it creates strength, hope and transformation in a child – and a community.

Contact: Kathy Perea

Phone: (714) 573-9474

Email: kperea@ocie.wish.org