For Lindsey Fontenot, seeing the expressions on children’s faces is the best part of volunteering—like the day her wish-granting team surprised a young girl at karate practice to tell her that her wish was coming true. 

“The look on her face,” Lindsey recalls. “She was in her practice outfit and totally not expecting us. Her parents were both in tears, and they shared what their family had been going through. It was a really special moment for everybody there, and emotions were so high. I just felt honored to be a part of it.” 

Moments like these carry extra meaning for Lindsey, who’s been on the other side of a wish. She was diagnosed with pancreatitis in 2015 and began navigating treatments and hospital stays. 

“I struggled with pancreatitis for years,” she says. “Then it was finally decided that I needed to have this big surgery, hopefully to get my life back on track.” 

During that time, Lindsey began thinking about her wish and ultimately chose to go to Hawaii with her family. 

“I knew I wanted to do something with my family because we hadn’t been able to take any sort of trip together in years,” she says. “My little brother’s childhood was basically growing up in the hospital.”

As she prepared to undergo surgery, the promise of her wish trip gave Lindsey something powerful to hold on to. 

“Hawaii became a big focal point for me,” Lindsey says. “Getting better to make it on that trip was such a central part of my journey, my illness and recovery, my motivation.” 

After graduating from UCLA, Lindsey returned to the Bay Area and, in 2022, became a Make-A-Wish volunteer. “Back with my home chapter, I thought it was the perfect time to get involved,” she says. Since then, she’s volunteered as a wish granter, event volunteer, Wish Ambassador, and more. 

Stepping into this role has been both emotional and eye-opening. “My first few wishes were very surreal,” she shares. “I’m on the other side now, and I get to be the person helping these kids through their illnesses—that’s my goal. Every wish reveal I’ve done, I still get goosebumps just seeing their smiles and remembering my wish and how that felt.” 

Volunteering has also deepened Lindsey’s appreciation for everything that goes into making wishes come true. “As a kid, I didn’t realize how much work and energy it takes—how many people come together to make wishes happen,” she says. “Now, being involved, there’s even more gratitude for what everybody did to make my wish possible. It’s awe inspiring.” 

As a Wish Ambassador, Lindsey now shares that impact and effort with others. She and her dad recently spoke at a golf event benefiting Make-A-Wish. “It was really fun,” she says. “I think he really resonated with a lot of the other dads there.” 

Today, Lindsey is pursuing her Ph.D. in metabolic biology at UC Berkeley. She got engaged in January and lives with her fiancé, Winston, and their dog, Rocco. She continues to bring her story—and the mission—to life with authenticity and heart. 

“You get to play a small part in a child’s journey and help them get through a really difficult time,” Lindsey says. “It’s something so magical. I just don’t think there’s anything quite like it.”