Make-A-Wish^® Idaho

Boise, ID: In the last three years, Make-A-Wish® Idaho, a nonprofit that grants wishes for children with critical illnesses, has seen close to a thirty percent increase in wishes. Since 2010, the Idaho nonprofit steadily granted around 100 wishes per year. Since 2022, the organization has granted between 127 and 140 wishes. This year, they estimate they will grant 130. Despite this increase caused by the state’s rapid population growth, Make-A-Wish Idaho has the capacity to grant even more wishes to Idaho kids.

The nonprofit speculates that there is a significant number of Idaho children who are eligible for wishes but don’t know they are because they believe that wishes are only for children with terminal prognoses. This is not the case.  Wishes are designed to help children and their families cope with the emotional trauma that accompanies a diagnosis of a severe illness and the years-long treatment that often accompanies it. The most common referral Make-A-Wish Idaho receives are cancer diagnoses which have a very high survival rate. However, treatment for cancer can take years and exacts a physical and emotional toll. 

“Our mission is to grant the wish of every eligible child in the state of Idaho, and we take that mission seriously,” said Make-A-Wish Idaho President and CEO Janie Best. “I’ve heard so many families express surprise and even fear when they were referred to Make-A-Wish because their child was not terminal. While we will always be there for those families going through the very worst, we are also there for those families who are going through the very bad and need something positive and uplifting to help get them through the final rounds of chemotherapy, heart surgery, or an organ transplant before they ultimately recover.”

All wishes are granted via a referral process, and kids are most often referred by medical professionals, social workers, or family members. To learn more about referring a child or to refer a child, visit wish.org/refer-a-child.