Teen's 'Make-A-Wish' Changed Due to COVID-19 but He's Still All Smiles Thanks to Their Promise to Help Children Fighting Cancer

“When somebody else cares, that is a big help,” Jayden’s dad James told SurvivorNet about the experience of working with Make-A-Wish. “It always feels good to have people that are taking their time volunteering to come see you and show you love and care.”

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These days, Jayden is in treatment and keeping his head up even serving as the source of inspiration for his own family experiencing the journey with him. “He’s a big help [in encouraging the family] because he’s just trying to live life,” dad James says. “He’s trying to be in good spirits and that helps the people around him who love him.”

What is Make-A-Wish Foundation?

Make-A-Wish is a nonprofit group dedicated to creating life-changing experiences for children with critical illnesses, such as cancer. Sometimes family members get to take part in the wish-granting, because often the entire family goes through the cancer journey. This year, the organization is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the wish that inspired its founding, back in 1980.

Related: This Little Girl with Cancer Just Got Her Wish to Meet a Unicorn A Small Town Rallies to Make a Dream Come True

Since that time, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 330,000 wishes for kids in the U.S. more than 15,800 just last year alone. There are 60 chapters all around the country, and more than 34,000 volunteers involved.

How Did Make-A-Wish Start?

Back in 1980, Christopher James Greicius was a 7-year-old kid with leukemia who dreamed of being a police officer. Before his death, his community in Phoenix came together to help him experience the tools and pomp of police life. And it was his wish that inspired the founding of the organization.

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Frank “Bopsy” Salazar, also 7-years-old with leukemia, became the first official Make-A-Wish kid the following year.

How Does Make-A-Wish Foundation Grant Their Wishes?

Like all nonprofit organizations, Make-A-Wish relies on fundraising, and it operates with the help of devoted volunteers who help fulfill kids’ special wishes. Of course, the volunteers get something important in return, too: the warmth and satisfaction that comes from knowing they made a difference in the life of a sick child.

Make-A-Wish is able to fulfill the wishes of kids with critical illnesses through donations from individuals and corporate sponsors. You can donate or learn more about the foundation through its website, wish.org.

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How Has Make-A-Wish Been Impacted By COVID-19?

Before his shopping spree, Jayden’s earlier wishes included a trip to Disney, but the coronavirus pandemic forced some changes to his and other kids’ plans. Still, Make-A-Wish is granting wishes every day for children with critical illnesses around the country in safe ways think pets, backyard playsets, and shopping experiences like Jayden’s.

From hope, kids with critical illnesses can derive the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illnesses. And Make-A-Wish keeps coming up with new ways to make it happen, even during COVID-19.

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