Angela Boomsma spends her days supporting children with serious medical conditions and their families through her work on staff at Advocate Children’s Hospital. When she was working in the pediatric cardiology department, she encountered many children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare and serious congenital heart defect. Compared to support for other childhood illnesses, she noticed a lack of research and assistance for kids and their families dealing with this life-threatening cardiac diagnosis. Inspired by her colleagues who were incorporating Make-A-Wish into their patient plans, Angela made it her mission to connect as many of these children as possible with the organization.

Now fourteen years later, Angela is more involved with Make-A-Wish than ever.

One of the first things Angela learned from working with Make-A-Wish was just how expansive a wish can really be. The ability to tailor each child’s experience exactly to a child’s needs and desires is very important to her. Today, Angela is a nurse practitioner working in pediatric complex care, where she encounters many children who often require intricate and extensive treatment plans. She weaves Make-A-Wish into her standard of care by checking referral status, consulting with families, and serving as a bridge between the hospital and the team at Make-A-Wish Illinois.

 “Sometimes parents get nervous because they think Make-A-Wish means end of life care, but really it is a celebration of all they have gone through, something they deserve,” she says about reframing what Make-A-Wish means to families of her patients. “Make-A-Wish provides opportunities for kids everywhere, at every stage.”

Hearing about the impact of the wish after it happens has become Angela’s favorite part of the process. Both children and parents rave to her about their positive experiences during the wish. Families often come back from a wish empowered to do more with their children, trying out activities they never imagined being able to do in the past. The effects of these inspiring stories ripple throughout the hospital.

“When we hear joy and happiness, I will call in other providers for the child so they can hear about it too,” Angela shared. “As healthcare providers, we need these happy moments to push through.”

In a profession that carries enormous emotional weight, Angela says Make-A-Wish has helped her maintain her positivity and continue being her bubbly, upbeat self.

“My goal is to give our patients their highest quality of life and for each kid that looks different. Make-A-Wish helps achieve that goal and I’m so grateful I get to work with them.”

Angela was recently recognized with the Healthcare Partner Leadership Award. The Healthcare Partner Leadership Award is presented to a healthcare partner who has gone above and beyond in volunteering their time and energy to extend our reach to their patients, who has championed the Make-A-Wish mission within their department and agency, and who has had a significant impact on the Make-A-Wish mission.