November 2023

Celebrating a Year of Wishes?

With travel wishes resuming leading into the 2023 fiscal year, Make-A-Wish Illinois was able to grant a record number of wishes, the most since 2013. Thanks to the support of donors, volunteers and medical partners, 729 children experienced the impact of a wish. Every 20 minutes somewhere in the country, a child is diagnosed with a critical illness. Each kid needs a wish to give them strength and help them heal. We look forward to granting even more wishes this year so more kids and their families can know the happiness and renewal a wish can bring.??

Mission Highlight – Melanie's wish?

Melanie has always dreamed of becoming a doctor. In 2021, Melanie received a life-altering diagnosis of chronic kidney disease, requiring a kidney transplant. Melanie's passion for the medical field grew with each visit to the hospital.?

One of Melanie’s physicians at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago , Dr. Carlos Becerril-Romero was determined to make Melanie’s wish happen. As a transplant recipient himself his enthusiasm for creating this experience stemmed from his own wish journey in 2001.?

Melanie has spent plenty of time at the hospital as a patient but during her wish, she had the opportunity to explore?staff-only areas like the ambulance bay, helicopter pad, and physician lounge. Her adventure continued in a mini-medical school designed just for her. To close day one, she stood surrounded by her family, physicians, and supporters from across the hospital to accept her diploma and an official white coat presented by Dr. Carlos Becerril-Romero.?

?Her wish continued the next day when Melanie participated in rounds for simulation patients, providing hands-on care and additional training. Melanie then headed to the Northwestern University - The Feinberg School of Medicine Simulation Lab to perform her first surgery.?

Melanie's wish has become her guiding star, encouraging her to achieve her goal of becoming a doctor. In just a few years, Melanie hopes to fill a crucial role as a bilingual physician, bringing medical expertise and the hope that her wish has created to the young patients she will serve. Her story is a testament to the power that a wish can have not only for the child but the community around them?

Read the full story here.?

Partnerships that Transform Lives?

Through innovative consumer-facing campaigns, cause marketing programs, generous financial contributions and mission-critical in-kind support, life-changing wishes are being granted right here in communities across Illinois. To learn more about how you can partner with Make-A-Wish Illinois as part of your corporate philanthropy, contact our team today at [email protected].?

Event Sponsorships?

Align your brand with Make-A-Wish, a global brand with local reach. Local corporate sponsors also help grant life-changing wishes through innovative and customized sponsorship programs. From our signature black-tie gala to family-friendly walks and exciting events for young professionals, there is fit for every sponsor. Contact Debbie Purcell at [email protected] for details.?

Make an Impact this Holiday Season?

You can give wish kids the gift of joy this holiday season in an easy way. Create a fundraiser on Facebook or Instagram and turn a post into a wish! For more information on creating a social media fundraiser contact Sloan McHugh at [email protected]?

Upcoming Events?

December 2nd – Hot Chocolate Walk for Wishes (Highland, IL)?

December 3rd – Breakfast with Santa (Chicago, IL)?

December 19th – Volunteer Orientation (virtual)?

January 10th – Volunteer Orientation (virtual)?

January 27th – Penguin Plunge (Ottawa, IL)?

February 24th – I Wish to Party (Chicago, IL)?

Learn more at wish.org/illinois/our-events.?