Make A Wish Australia, Children's Charity - Isla on her snow wish smiling with falling snow Make A Wish Australia, Children's Charity - Isla on her snow wish smiling with falling snow

Isla catches snowflakes

The first time in the snow

Living in sunny Perth, Isla had never seen the snow before.

Background

Meet Isla

Isla is “4 and 3/4” years old and has battled neuroblastoma since she was two.

Isla became fascinated with the idea of snow after she relapsed. But living in Perth, seeing snow wasn’t so easy.

So Isla wished to see real snow fall, and catch a snowflake on her tongue!

Make A Wish Australia Children's Charity - Isla on her wish in the snow with a snowman

About the wish

Isla told everyone about her wish

At hospital, Isla would tell all the doctors and nurses about her wish to see snow. It gave her something wonderful to look forward to, and vital strength to keep fighting.

After counting down for weeks, finally there was no more sleeps! Waking up at 4.30am to head to the airport, Isla said “Mummy I’m tired, but I’m not grumpy because I’m going to the snow!”

Isla's Wish, Make A Wish Australia, Charity. Child

If you donate to Make-A-Wish, thank you! Since the wish Isla looks so much brighter and happier. She has a different glow. You have made a little girl’s dreams come true, and this will stay with her forever.

Kelly Isla's mum

Video

Wish to see snow

Isla was wide-eyed as she approached the winter wonderland of Dinner Plain. There was plenty of snow under foot – but the blue skies didn’t look so good for catching snowflakes!

Fortunately the clouds rolled in and Isla’s mum Kelly recalls, “As we were coming down the hill on the toboggan something magic happened. It started to snow nice big snowflakes. It was truly amazing – Isla loved it!”

Isla ventured thousands of kilometres to see snow fall, and the impact will be just as vast. “She wanted to see the snow – and after seeing it falling she’ll conquer anything,” shares Kelly.

She wanted to see the snow – and after seeing it falling she’ll conquer anything.

Kelly Isla's mum

Help more life-changing wishes come true

There are 700 kids like Isla on a Wish Journey in Australia right now.

The Wish Journey

How a wish comes to life

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.

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