About Make-A-Wish India
Make-A-Wish India is a children’s non-profit organisation that grants the most cherished wishes of children between the ages of 3-18 years living with critical illnesses.
About Make-A-Wish India
Make-A-Wish India is a children’s non-profit organisation that grants the most cherished wishes of children between the ages of 3-18 years living with critical illnesses.
MAKE-A-WISH INDIA
We are a non-profit organization (registered as a Trust) that grants life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
We are on a quest to bring every eligible child’s wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness. This may improve their quality of life and produce better health outcomes.
We grant the wishes for all eligible children between the ages of 3-18 years, without any discrimination against any caste, race, creed, ethnicity, geographical locations and socio-economic conditions.
OUR IMPACT
Research has proven and often our wish team has witnessed the impact of a wish. The anticipation of the wish brings hope to the child and a welcome distraction from the gloomy isolation in a hospital room and medical routine. Many of our wish children have completed their medical treatments and have gone ahead to complete their education and achieve their career goals.
granted
OUR FOUNDER
Our founder, Mr. Uday Joshi and his wife Mrs. Geeta Joshi took their 10-year-old son Gandhar, suffering from Leukaemia, for treatment to the Duke Hospital in the USA. Gandhar agreed to go only on the promise that he would get to visit Disneyland. During his treatment, volunteers of Make-A-Wish in the USA met Gandhar and went about fulfilling his wish in a way beyond his imagination.
Gandhar passed away after his return to India. Inspired by the joy and magic that the wish experience had brought into their lives in a difficult time and in memory of their son, the Joshis were determined to bring the same wish experience to children suffering from critical illnesses in India.
Thus, Make-A-Wish India was established as an affiliate of Make-A-Wish International. Gandhar thus lives on each time a wish is granted.
In the early days, Geeta and Uday set up and managed the foundation. Even today although they do not manage the day-to day functions, they are deeply connected and committed to the cause.
“When we started Make-A-Wish back in 1995, my wife Geeta and I were the only ones running the organisation. I would look after the administrative work and Geeta would work as a volunteer, visiting hospitals and interacting with children to find out their cherished and innermost wishes. Our philosophy was simple – “To celebrate life, by fulfilling the innermost wish of critically ill children, to enhance the quality of their life, and give them hope for living a full, happy and disease-free life.
Today we have offices across 11 locations, with staff and volunteers visiting hospitals everyday interacting with wish children. It is my dream to make Make-A-Wish India a self-sufficient organisation, to see it grow and have all the volunteers, in-house expertise and infrastructure it needs to be able to grant more wishes to all eligible children. I envision our future anchored in empathy, integrity, and transparency, paving the way to self-sustainability. This path ensures ongoing wish fulfilment, delivering everlasting hope and joy to those children we cherish deeply.”
OUR FOUNDER
Mr. Uday Joshi
Our founder, Mr. Uday Joshi and his wife Mrs. Geeta Joshi took their 10-year-old son Gandhar, suffering from Leukaemia, for treatment to the Duke Hospital in the USA. Gandhar agreed to go only on the promise that he would get to visit Disneyland. During his treatment, volunteers of Make-A-Wish in the USA met Gandhar and went about fulfilling his wish in a way beyond his imagination.
Gandhar passed away after his return to India. Inspired by the joy and magic that the wish experience had brought into their lives in a difficult time and in memory of their son, the Joshis were determined to bring the same wish experience to children suffering from critical illnesses in India.
Thus, Make-A-Wish India was established as an affiliate of Make-A-Wish International. Gandhar thus lives on each time a wish is granted.
In the early days, Geeta and Uday set up and managed the foundation. Even today although they do not manage the day-to day functions, they are deeply connected and committed to the cause.
OUR FOUNDER
Mr. Uday Joshi
Our founder, Mr. Uday Joshi and his wife Mrs. Geeta Joshi took their 10-year-old son Gandhar, suffering from Leukaemia, for treatment to the Duke Hospital in the USA. Gandhar agreed to go only on the promise that he would get to visit Disneyland. During his treatment, volunteers of Make-A-Wish in the USA met Gandhar and went about fulfilling his wish in a way beyond his imagination.
Gandhar passed away after his return to India. Inspired by the joy and magic that the wish experience had brought into their lives in a difficult time and in memory of their son, the Joshis were determined to bring the same wish experience to children suffering from critical illnesses in India.
Thus, Make-A-Wish India was established as an affiliate of Make-A-Wish International. Gandhar thus lives on each time a wish is granted.
In the early days, Geeta and Uday set up and managed the foundation. Even today although they do not manage the day-to day functions, they are deeply connected and committed to the cause.
“When we started Make-A-Wish back in 1995, my wife Geeta and I were the only ones running the organisation. I would look after the administrative work and Geeta would work as a volunteer, visiting hospitals and interacting with children to find out their cherished and innermost wishes. Our philosophy was simple – “To celebrate life, by fulfilling the innermost wish of critically ill children, to enhance the quality of their life, and give them hope for living a full, happy and disease-free life.
Today we have offices across 11 locations, with staff and volunteers visiting hospitals everyday interacting with wish children. It is my dream to make Make-A-Wish India a self-sufficient organisation, to see it grow and have all the volunteers, in-house expertise and infrastructure it needs to be able to grant more wishes to all eligible children. I envision our future anchored in empathy, integrity, and transparency, paving the way to self-sustainability. This path ensures ongoing wish fulfilment, delivering everlasting hope and joy to those children we cherish deeply.”
How it started
Make-A-Wish® traces its inspiration to Christopher James Greicius, an energetic 7-year-old boy in Arizona who was battling Leukemia. It was his wish to be a police officer. In 1980, his Phoenix community came together to make his wish come true.
This one act of kindness and community action sparked an idea. This wish led to the creation of the largest wish granting organisation in the world, The Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish® is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, operating in 50 countries worldwide. Since Chris’s life-changing experience, Make-A-Wish® has granted over 500,000 wishes worldwide.
A wish granted is a gift of hope and strength for children with critical illnesses. At the same time, its positive impact can radiate and uplift their families and the community around them, creating treasured memories that will last a lifetime.
OUR VISION
To grant the wish of every eligible child
our mission
Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical ilnesses