With a background in pediatric nursing, Megan Masters is now a nurse practitioner who works with patients who have neurological conditions through Lurie Children’s Epilepsy Center. Though familiar with Make-A-Wish in general, she learned so much more as she has referred patients over the last few years.

Early in her career, like many medical professionals, she was under the impression that the qualifying conditions for Make-A-Wish were very limited and only for patients with a poor prognosis. Learning the range of other critical illnesses, including many of the life-threatening nervous system disorders she sees through her work at the clinic, would qualify was a key discovery for Megan, who soon saw how wish experiences could benefit her patients.

“Once I was able to offer Make-A-Wish on top of their medical care, I knew it was a great tool to offer families,” Masters shared. “Make-A-Wish offers them happiness for their day-to-day life outside of the hospital and diagnosis and helps to keep them going.”

Having something happy like Make-A-Wish to talk about is one thing that resonates with Masters and her colleagues, whose conversations with patients typically revolve around medications, seizures and other clinical, and sometimes upsetting, medical topics.

The photos families send and the stories they tell about their wishes are appreciated by Masters and the hospital staff. She especially enjoys hearing about the creative wish ideas some kids come up with. Recently, she’s been working with a family whose child is considering a wish for a travel trailer so they could visit national parks. Because of the child’s condition, they are not able to fly, and the parents supported the child’s desire to see more of the world.

“Lots of our staff are involved with Make-A-Wish and we love to hear from patients about their wishes,” Masters said. “It brings hope and joy to everyone in the office to know we’re doing more to help just their epilepsy; we’re helping them have a better life outside of the hospital.”

“We are thankful for Make-A-Wish. You make it easy to help our patients in a more complete way.”