Make-A-Wish® History It all started with a single wish…

Make-A-Wish traces its inspiration to Christopher James Greicius, an energetic 7-year-old boy battling leukemia who wishes to be a police officer. In 1980, his Phoenix community came together to make his wish come true. Little did Chris know that his wish would create a movement that would transform millions of lives.

Today, Make-A-Wish has been granting life-changing wishes for children and families for over 40 years. After the start of Make-A-Wish in 1980 in the United States, Make-A-Wish International was officially formed in 1993 to serve five countries outside the U.S. – and now helps to serve children outside the United States in nearly 50 countries on 5 continents through its 40 Affiliates.

With the help of our donors and more than 43,000 volunteers around the world, Make-A-Wish has collectively granted more than 550,000 wishes worldwide.