Wishes do come true: Make-A-Wish® has been making dreams a reality for critically ill children for nearly four decades.
It all began with Chris, a seven-year old boy diagnosed with leukemia who wanted nothing more than to be a police officer. The community came together to grant his wish and inspired the formation of Make-A-Wish.
Recently, Inclusity spoke with Karen Davis, CEO and president of Make-A-Wish Michigan, about what the organization has since come to learn. Make-A-Wish Michigan is one of 60 chapters of Make-A-Wish across the country and serves children throughout the state of Michigan. Davis explains that the gift of a wish extends well beyond the granting – it is a source of emotional support, strength, hope, joy, and sense of empowerment for children. Wishes are created around a child’s imagination and interest. The granting of a wish is transformational for a child. The positive effect spreads to all who are involved – touching families, volunteers, supporters, medical professionals, and beyond. It wraps around the community, becoming a unifying and energizing force.
And, in Davis’s words: “We are committed to be an inclusive and diverse organization, accessible to all. Make-A-Wish brings together people of all backgrounds who respect and value differences, united by the mission to serve these children.”
With a voice filled with passion and commitment for what she does, Davis says she had the good fortune to start a position with Make-A-Wish Michigan after graduating from college. “I have grown up with the organization,” she says. “What keeps me here is the people and the opportunity to be surrounded by good. We exist to serve our families, and it is a privilege to provide to them the gift of a wish.”
She went on to share a little more about Make-A-Wish Michigan. Last year, In 2018, 459 wishes were supported by more than 900 volunteers, including nearly 550 wish-grant volunteers statewide. Each of these children have their own unique experience and story.
However, there is more to tell, the organization also received a record 704 referrals during the same year. Make-A-Wish Michigan will grant its 10,000th wish in 2019 as it celebrates its 35th anniversary.
“Our vision for Make-A-Wish Michigan is to grow as an inclusive and diverse organization and to be able to grant the wish of every medically eligible child in our state annually,” Davis says.
Inclusity team members at the Wish Ball in 2018
Inclusity is proud to support Make-A-Wish Michigan. As its non-profit partner, we are honored to contribute inclusion and diversity training as well as provide financial support through giving. “We are grateful and humbled to align with an organization that shares our core values, commitment to children and impacts the communities we live in,” says Maria White, founder and CEO of Inclusity. There is strength from knowing that so many people care.
For more information: www.Michigan.Wish.org
