We are on a quest to bring every eligible child’s wish to life, because wishes are an important part of a child’s treatment journey. Wishes can help children feel better and give them the hope and strength they need to fight – and even overcome – a critical illness. It’s why health professionals use a wish as part of their treatment plan.

When children are battling a critical illness, so much of normal childhood is taken away from them — it is exhausting, both emotionally and physically. A wish is something that gives kids the opportunity to look outside their illness — it restores a sense of childhood back to the child and normalcy back to the family.

Research shows, and physicians agree, wishes can help improve a child's quality of life and produce better health outcomes.

We’ve known anecdotally about the transformational power of a wish, and now a first-of-its-kind study is opening the door to possibilities of medical and financial benefits. In the Dr. Patel Wish Impact Study, Nationwide Children’s Hospital examined quality of life and health care utilization among patients who received a wish and a control group who did not. The study found patients who were granted a wish were more likely to have fewer unplanned hospital and emergency department visits.

Research like this can inspire doctors to use a wish as part of their treatment plans for patients, because wishes can give their patients hope, build compliance with care and potentially give their patients a better chance at reducing time spent in the hospital.

Watch the video below to hear Dr. Patel talk about the true power of a wish and learn more about the study here.