Make-A-Wish grants 200+ meaningful milestones annually to kids with life-threatening illnesses – here's how you can help

The Irish Sun

29-04-2025

TODAY is World Wish Day. And children's charity Make-A-Wish Ireland has revealed that it has granted over 3,500 wishes since it was founded 33 years ago.
With some 650 children diagnosed with a life-threatening condition every year, the public is being urged to help make more dreams come true.
3
Make-A-Wish Ireland CEO, Susan McQuaid O'Dwyer, is calling for public support
Credit: PR Handout
3
The Breen brothers, from Arklow, completed a transatlantic row to help raise funds for the charity
Credit: PR Handout
3
Padraig Harrington has been granting wishes since September 2006
Credit: PR Handout
Here, Susan McQuaid O'Dwyer, CEO of
THIS World Wish Day, as communities across the globe come together on April 29 to celebrate the life-changing work of
In the 18 years I've had the privilege to lead Make-A-Wish Ireland — and the 30 years I've spent in the charity sector — I've witnessed thousands of stories that show how a single wish can lift a family from trauma to hope, and from fear to joy.
Whether it's meeting a sporting hero, becoming a firefighter for a day, or taking a magical trip with family, a wish offers more than a moment of happiness — it offers strength, it provides hope and it allows the child to be seen in a new light, away from talk of treatment and illness, providing a new talking point based on positivity.
Read more on Charity
Since our founding in 1992, Make-A-Wish Ireland has granted over 3,350 wishes, each tailored uniquely to a child's imagination.
Today, we deliver over 200 wishes each year. These are not just 'nice-to-haves'.
They are deeply meaningful milestones for children navigating the most difficult diagnoses and treatments. And yet, we do this without any government funding.
That's why days like World Wish Day are so important. They remind us that our work is only possible because of people like you — our donors, volunteers, and partners.
Most read in The Irish Sun
The public's trust and generosity are what allow us to keep granting wishes, year after year.
From small change donated in a shop to national campaigns like Wish Week and initiatives like Return For Children (our collaboration with five other national children's charities and Re-turn Ireland), every euro helps deliver hope.
The charity sector in Ireland has undergone significant changes over the past few decades. Increased transparency, accountability, and the need for sustainable funding have become paramount.
SPARK JOY
Make-A-Wish Ireland exemplifies these values, operating without government funding and relying solely on the generosity of the public and corporate partners.
Events like Wish Week and the Amgen Irish Open have been instrumental, and showcase the power of community and corporate collaboration.
While tools and tactics evolve, our mission remains constant: to grant the wish of every eligible child in Ireland.
With an estimated 650 children diagnosed annually with life-threatening conditions, we are determined to grow in reach, scale, and sustainability.
POWER OF A WISH
I'm often asked what makes a wish so powerful. The answer is simple.
It's not the celebrity, the gift, or the destination — it's the experience of being seen, heard, and uplifted.
It's reminding a child that in the midst of medical appointments and uncertainty, there's still magic in the world. And that they deserve it.
I'm proud of how far we've come. I'm prouder still of the stories we've helped write, and the joy we've sparked — not just in children, but in families, communities, and in all of us who believe in something bigger.
HELP NEEDED
This World Wish Day, I invite you to be part of that story. Help us grant more wishes.
Help us bring more light to children who need it most.
Because sometimes, all it takes is one wish to change everything.
To donate, visit makeawish.ie/donate.