We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
The creation of the Make-A-Wish® Foundation was inspired in the U.S. in 1980 by the fulfillment of a wish of a 7-year-old boy with leukemia named Chris Greicius, who wished to be a policeman. His mother, several friends and a group of police officers, with the cooperation of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, granted his wish with a custom-made uniform, helmet, badge, and helicopter ride!
The magical relationship the Make-A-Wish® Foundation has formed with Disney on a global scale began with Frank "Bopsy" Salazar, the first official wish child. Like Chris, he was a 7-year-old boy in the U.S. who was diagnosed with leukemia and revered people in uniform. The Foundation set out to grant his wish to be a firefighter, and thanks to wonderful support from our Disney friends, more fun was in store for his magical wish!