Make-A-Wish^® Italy, a non-profit organization that grants wishes of children living under life threatening medical conditions.

For sick children it can be very difficult to face life: strong medical treatments, constant hospitalizations don’t allow them to live their own childhood, and sometimes also take away all their energy to keep fighting.

Based on this, Make-A-Wish^® was founded more than 40 years ago in the United States. It’s a non-profit organization that grants wishes of very sick children. Make-A-Wish^® International now serves 50 countries outside the United States through its 40 affiliate offices around the world. It has more than 43.000 volunteers, and since 1980 it has granted more than 500.000 wishes for children with life threatening medical conditions.  

Make-A-Wish^® Italy was founded in 2004, in memory of Carlotta, a sweet ten years old girl, affected by a grave disease. The headquarters are in Genoa, where the founders are living but there is also an operational office in Milan. Make-A-Wish^® Italy works with the most important Italian pediatric hospitals in order to grant wishes of children aged 3-17 years old with life-threatening medical conditions, to enrich them with moments of fun and often forgotten joy.

Medical Research and scientific studies have proven the importance of a wish come true for these children: it gives them hope and positive force that helps them overcome their medical obstacles.

Their emotional behavior changes: they become happy, joyful instead of being just scared. They can be "children" again.

The positive power of a wish that comes true has a strong impact not only on the wish child, but also on the family; parents, siblings don’t feel left alone, they have the opportunity to set aside anxiety and to be positive.