Wish Program

Wishes really do come true at Wishing Star.  To date we've granted over 1,100 wishes. 

Wishes in the Works- See how you can help with 42 wishes in the process of being granted.
Steps to Wish Granting- Learn about the wish granting process or make a referral.
Beyond the Wish- read stories about how wish kids stay connected long after the wish!

Read about Boise wishes!

Mario, 19, leukemia

Mario, from Quincy, Washington wished for tools to work on his car. Mario loves mechanics and working on his engine. One of his favorite tool companies is Matco. Wishing Star called Matco for help to grant Mario's wish. Matco had fun putting it together and were granted Mario with a $3000 shopping spree. Thank you Matco! 

Scott, 16, acute lymphoblastic leukemia

In September, Scott was granted his wish of going on a hunting and fishing trip in Alaska. Hunt of a Lifetime took Scott and his dad on a guided trip for a week! The picture above shows Scott with the antlers of the moose he got. He found his moose in the early part of the trip, so Scott and his dad were able to do some fishing as well as traveling Alaska.

Sara, mesenchymal chondrosarcoma

Sara, was diagnosed at 18 with a rare and aggressive cancer in her eye. A specialist in Philadelphia removed her eye and all tissue in the orbit. Sara received chemo treatments at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. She then had 6 surgeries in 15 months to have an orbital facial prosthetic placed. Sara's wish was to go Disney World/Universal Studios.

"The Wish Trip was a fun and exciting adventure for our family. Our coordinator did a great job of planning for all of our activities and anticipated needs. We were able to just go to the parks and play all day, have too much fun, and go back to our comfortable beds to rest and be ready for what the next day would bring. This Wish was a wonderful contrast to the reality of the last 2 years." Thank you, Tim, Teri, Sara and Victoria

Alex, 9, neurofibromatosis

Give me one more ride on the midway.
Let me laugh and be gay as a clown
Give me back the world I remember.
One more ride on the merry-go-round.

Judy Collins

 
On Thursday, June 12th Alex lost his 9 year battle with neurofibromatosis.  Alex's wishes were simple. He wanted to meet his grandfather, or go to a petting zoo or listen to a country and western concert. The family traveled to Modesto, CA to see grandpa. They were guests of Modesto and Merced.  Those communities opened their arms and hearts while granting the other two wishes.  So many people took part in the granting of Alex's wish.  One special man is Jerome Pollos, a photo journalist who created this beautiful slide show of Alex's trip.   

Layne, Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Layne's wish was to watch Gonzaga Bulldogs play basketball in Madison Square Garden. He and his family traveled to New York city in December, 2006. On December 21, he watched Duke Blue Devils beat Gonzaga. He remained a loyal fan, attending a number of local Gonzaga games. Layne passed away on January 14, 2008.

"What an amazing, influencial kid. There are hundreds of kids Layne positively impacted, not only at Coeur d'Alene High School but at Canfield Middle School as well." Mike Nelson, CHS vice principal.

Sarah, myeloblastic leukemia

Sarah lost her battle with myeloblastic leukemia in 2004 before her wish could be granted. Wishing Star donated a bench as a memorial.

“Some friends helped me install Sarah’s bench and plaque on the Snake River canyon rim on July 22, Sarah’s birthday. There is a very nice walking trail, a very nice view.
When our girls were young, my wife and I would frequently take them to the canyon to watch the sun set. When Sarah was a teen, she would drag her friends to the canyon at sunset. She thought it was one of the best activities in Twin Falls on summer evenings.
This picture was taken at sunset the day after we installed the bench. As you can see, the sunset was beautiful. The puzzling thing is that it was full overcast. We could not see the sun. We couldn’t tell when the sun had set. There was no color. It was a dark and gray end to the day. I’m not sure what happened. I tend to want to read something into this phenomenon.
Thank you for your help and generosity. The bench will be a lasting memorial, and will be enjoyed by many.”
John and Becky Dean

Michael, 11, athetotic cerebral palsy and axatia

Michael's wish was to meet Shaun White. Although we were not able to connect with Shaun White, he spent a week at Tamarack Resort as a VIP at the Grand Prix Snowboarding Competition. He hung out with the snowboarders and even got to snowboard with them. Michael helped hand out awards during the awards ceremony.

Michael shared "I was so sad when we left because I loved it there and I loved everyone there too.” Lisa his mother wrote “I can’t thank you enough for granting Michael his wish. It was so much more than we expected. Everyone made him feel so special. We are truly blessed to have you all in our lives.”

Thank you Tamarack Resorts and Tamarack Charter Service for your help with this wish.

On the front Page of the Sports Section in the Idaho Statesman Michael was noted as "taking first in excitement". He helped hand out the prizes.

Robbie, 20, leukemia

Robbie wished for a Disneyland trip with his family.  He had to wait over a year for his wish to come true due to his lengthy treatment, but when the trip finally came, Robbie had the time of his life.

Spencer, 7, cerebral palsy and prenatal stroke

Spencer's wish was to meet the princesses of Disneyland with her family.  They had never been on a vacation together as a family, so this trip to Southern California was a very special experience for them.  Spencer had the time of her life as she had the undivided attention of her family and the characters of Disneyland, Universal Studios and Seaworld.

Konner, 8, neurofibromatosis type I, with optic glioma

This charming young man's wish was to meet Tony Stewart and go to a NASCAR race.  Konnor was all smiles as his wish was granted and he got to meet his hero.