The Wish Process

The Wish Process

The Wish Process

Read The Wish Process in Irish or Polish by selecting the bottom right tab, or choose from one of the below languages:

Chinese | French | Spanish | Italian

Step 1 – Referral

Do you know a child living with a life-threatening illness, who could benefit from a magical wish?

We accept wish referrals from parents or guardians, medical professionals or even the children themselves. Applications are completed by the parent/guardian of the child.

Please note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a significant number of wishes in waiting . Thank you for your understanding and patience.

To find out more about the types of wishes we grant, or should you require urgent assistance, call us on 01 205 2011 or email wishes@makeawish.ie and we'll be happy to help.

Please read our Privacy Notice for Wish Applications.

Click here to apply online

If you would prefer to download our Wish Application Form, please see HERE.

Step 2 – Eligibility Criteria

To have their wish granted, a child needs to be:

  • Aged between 3 and 17 years (inclusive),
  • Living with a life-threatening illness
  • Resident in Ireland
  • We grant one wish for a child, so a child shouldn't have received a wish previously

The child’s treating consultant makes the final determination of whether the child is medically eligible to receive a wish and whether the child is able to participate in the wish.

Step 3 – The Wish

If the child is eligible, Make-A-Wish sends some paperwork to the wish child and family to complete, to learn more about the wish child.

When we receive this information, we'll arrange for our specially trained volunteers to visit the child to find out what their wish is.

Once a child’s wish is approved and authorised by the treating consultant, the wish team sets out to make it come true.

Step 4 – Granting the Wish

After talking with the child, Make-A-Wish set out to create a magical wish experience for the child that will last a lifetime. Every effort is made to include the immediate family in the child’s wish. The wish experience often touches dozens, and sometimes hundreds of people who either help co-ordinate or are directly involved in the wish.

The wish experiences created by us are made possible only through the support of generous donors and volunteers across the country.

View our wishes to see how other children have benefited from Make-A-Wish Ireland's service.

Our Wishes