Wishes

From making unicorns fly to sending kids to the moon, all wishes are unique. Each child's Wish Journey is carefully planned and delivered to create a positive, life-changing, lasting impact.

11,000 unique wishes

At Make-A-Wish, every child's Wish Journey is carefully planned and delivered to create a positive, lasting impact on the lives of not only sick kids themselves, but also their families and communities.

Explore wish stories

Wishes - Children's Charity - Dara on her wish very happy with puppies jumping all over her

Apply or refer a child

Do you know a critically ill child who could benefit from a life-changing Wish Journey? Find out more about our wish application process and referrals.

How to apply for a wish

Wishes at Make A Wish Australia Children's Charity - Noah on his wish in the garden with volunteers and a knome

If you could wish for anything, what would it be?
This is the question we ask every wish child - to spark imagination, to encourage them to dream, and to start making the impossible possible!

How wishes comes to life

The Wish Journey

Make-A-Wish volunteers visit each child to capture their greatest wish, getting to the heart of what kids truly want and why. This profound insight is part of what makes Make-A-Wish unique, giving children full creative control and helping to shape their entire Wish Journey.

Back at Make-A-Wish HQ, we partner with families, volunteers and medical teams to design the ultimate wish experience - and start rallying our partners and supporters to help make it happen.

In the lead up to the wish, we take each child on a journey designed to build excitement and provide a welcome distraction from medical treatment. Anticipation can be incredibly powerful, helping to calm, distract and inspire sick kids at a time they need it most.

When the moment finally arrives, children get to experience their greatest wish come true - it's everything they've imagined and more. Pinch yourself, and don't forget to take a breath and enjoy every precious moment!

Wish impact studies show that a child's wish lives on, long after the moment. A wish gives more than just hope – with an incredible and lasting effect on the lives of sick kids, their families and wider communities.

The Wish Effect

More than 40 years of wish family experiences, along with a growing body of international research, shows that wishes are an essential complement to a child’s medical treatment - with the power to positively impact the lives of sick kids, their families and communities.

Research and wish impact studies