Anika Lanke volunteers with Make-A-Wish Arizona because she believes support for children goes beyond medicine. It lives in connection, presence, and moments that help kids feel like kids again, something she hopes to be part of in her own career.

Anika first became involved with Make-A-Wish Arizona as an intern on the Medical Outreach team, where she connected with hospitals and providers to help reach eligible children. One experience during Sickle Cell Awareness Month has stayed with her. 

“I created these little gift bags with goodies and went with the team to Phoenix Children’s and other clinics to give them out and connect with the providers,” she said. 

Seeing that work take place inside the hospital offered Anika a new perspective on care and connection. 

“It was nice to see that side of medicine where it’s supporting the kids and meeting them where they are,” she said. “Making them feel like it’s not just a blank hospital.” 

Now a pre-med student at the University of Arizona, Anika continues volunteering with Make-A-Wish Arizona, finding ways to stay involved alongside her studies. Those experiences continue to shape how she approaches working with children. 

“Having that background and that exposure working with the kids and being a resource for them rather than a medical professional was very enlightening,” she said. 

Some of her most meaningful moments have come through wish experiences themselves. During her first wish reveal at the Wish House, she saw how a wish can create moments of joy. 

“It was so fun to see,” she said. “The kid was so excited, and it kind of brings them out of their world a little bit.” 

Anika also volunteers at airport send-offs, welcoming families as their travel journeys begin. 

“My very first outside-of-the-Wish-House wish experience was at an airport sendoff,” she said. “It was 5 a.m., and it was just so fun to see all the family come together around their kid.” 

That flexibility is one of the reasons Anika continues volunteering. 

“It’s not a structured time commitment,” she said. “It’s really just communicating with the kids and their families.” 

As she looks toward a future focused on pediatric care, Anika says her time volunteering with Make-A-Wish Arizona continues to guide how she hopes to support children and families. 

“One of the biggest things about Make-A-Wish is that you’re not only supporting the kid,” she said. “You’re supporting their entire family.”