It's been 25 years since my son Chris received his wish, and I am still amazed and inspired how one little boy's dream to be a policeman has touched the lives of so many thousands of people..
— Linda Bergendahl-Pauling,
Mother of Chris Greicius
By 1982, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® had granted a total of eight wishes to children in the Phoenix area when it caught the attention of "NBC Magazine," a national news program.
The story began with the account of Chris' wish and featured Linda Bergendahl-Pauling and Tommy Austin sharing how Chris' dream came true. The reporter highlighted the beginnings of the Foundation and how a few children and their families were delighted by the worry-free wish experiences. Suddenly, millions of people saw how the power of a wish impacts children.
On May 13, 1983, a year after NBC's story, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America was officially incorporated, six official Make-A-Wish® chapters were operating around the country, and 22 more were established the following year.
In 2000, 20 years after Chris donned his police uniform, the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted its 80,000th wish. To date, more than 161,000 wishes have been granted to children with life-threatening medical conditions in the United States and its territories.
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This page can be found at http://www.wish.org/about/the_first_wish/inspiring_a_nation
©2006 Make-A-Wish Foundation®