Apply for a wish
Do you know a critically ill child or teen who could benefit from a life-changing wish? We welcome applications from all eligible children, their families and medical teams. You don't need to know your wish to apply.
How it works
Get in touch using the form below to speak to our team about an application.
As part of our commitment to Child Safety, we also require a parent or legal guardian’s signature at this point, before getting in touch with your medical specialist.
Once we have your consent, we’ll contact your child’s treating medical specialist, as they must approve your application before we can proceed. Please see eligibility below for more info.
Once your application is approved, we’ll work closely with your local Make-A-Wish volunteers, your family and the broader #WishForce community to capture and bring an incredible Wish Journey to life – with every wish as unique as the child who imagined it!
Apply for a Wish
Follow the prompts below to apply for a wish.
If you have any questions about the application process, please call the Wish team on 1800 032 260 or email [email protected] – we're here to help.
Who is eligible for a wish?
Make-A-Wish supports children with critical illnesses. To be eligible, a child should be
- aged between 3 and 18 years old
- living in Australia
- experiencing a life-threatening illness or medical condition
Please note, our wishes are not just for children with terminal illnesses – many wish children go on to beat their illnesses and live normal, healthy lives.
See further eligibility criteria information below.
Age criteria
- Make-A-Wish Australia grants wishes to Australian children and teens aged between 3 and 18 years old.
- We accept all applications completed from the child's third birthday, until the day of their 18th birthday - although actual wish experiences may still take place after this time.
- Younger children are eligible to receive a wish hamper, which is a selection of age-appropriate toys for children under 3. If the child continues to be medically eligible following their 3rd birthday, they can also apply for a Wish Journey from this time.
Medical criteria
- Make-A-Wish grants wishes to children experiencing a life-threatening condition or illness.
- We accept all applications for life-threatening medical conditions which include, but are not restricted to: leukaemia and other childhood cancers, cystic fibrosis, certain types of muscular dystrophy and cardiac disorders. Please speak with us or contact your doctor for more information.
- Your child’s treating medical specialist has the final say on medical eligibility, and must approve your application before we can proceed. We will do our best to facilitate this as quickly as possible and let you know when your doctor has given us approval.
Additional criteria
- In fairness to the many hundreds of sick kids who apply each year, a child who has previously received a wish from us*, or any other wish-granting organisation either in Australia or overseas (including Starlight Foundation), isn't eligible.
*Wish hamper recipients are an exception.