At Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley, staff are wholeheartedly committed to providing life-changing wishes for children battling critical illnesses.

Michela Mennella, Senior Wish Manager, is a member of the team who is devoted to bridging language barriers in the organization to ensure every eligible child can see their wish come true.

Michela grew up in Italy and had always been passionate about languages. She moved to the United States when she was 19 years old to attend college in Pittsburgh. After earning a degree in Spanish, she decided to remain in the country for another year to work a job related to her education. She found a job posting for a Wish Coordinator where bilingual candidates were preferred and joined the organization in 2019.

The first conversation Michela had with a Spanish-speaking family in the organization was on a wish discovery for a child who wanted a bedroom redo.

“I was able to write down exactly what they wanted the room to look like and then purchase the items myself,” said Michela. “It just felt like such a surreal process that I was the one doing it all.”

Michela learned early on just how big of an impact she was having to make the process easier for wish kids and their families.

“I could see that I was helping out these families by planning a wish or a full trip and being able to communicate back and forth and understand what they were saying and cater to their needs,” said Michela.

After Michela’s work visa and a global pandemic temporarily ended her time with the chapter, she returned to the organization in March of 2021, this time as a Wish Manager.

Today, in her role as a Senior Wish Manager, Michela oversees and supports the team of wish managers at the chapter. Together, she and the team work to ensure each wish is executed seamlessly. Michela also continues to plan and execute wishes for Spanish-speaking families and assists with wishes coming in from different chapters.

“I am also the person that plans the wishes for wish kids that come from different chapters to our region to have their wish granted. This can range from going to Hershey, to going to Sesame Place, to a Philadelphia sports wish,” said Michela.

Over her years at the chapter, Michela has been part of countless memorable wishes. One in particular that is special to her is Anavah’s wish for a goldendoodle puppy.

“She shared she wanted a puppy because coming from a different country and speaking a different language she had a hard time just making friends. She just wanted a puppy to be her best friend,” said Michela.

Some more of Michela’s most memorable wishes have been with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Seeing the kids just starstruck is priceless,” said Michela.

As a multilingual speaker, Michela encourages all speakers to become involved in the organization. By helping close language gaps, the organization and wish process can become more inclusive and accessible for all kids.

“We do have a big Spanish-speaking population of kids and that's the main language that we see where families sometimes don't speak English or are limited in how much they understand. We want them to feel completely comfortable and feel like they can ask any question and know that their question is going to be understood the way they want to ask it,” said Michela.

In a diverse world, Michela believes that conversations don’t have to be complicated. In her role with the chapter, she is committed to doing her part to ensure every wish kid receives the magical experience they deserve.

“I've had the privilege to be part of the process and see the difference and the impact that it has on kids,” said Michela. “When you see the smile of a child during the wish, it’s so impactful.”