Refer A Child
If you know of a child who has reached the age of 2.5 years and is
under the age of 18 living with a life-
threatening condition, please share the information on this website with his/her parents
and/or guardians. We never solicit wishes so we need your help in spreading our message.
Parents, guardians and physicians may call our toll free number, (800) 846-9474 to request
a referral form for the child or patient.
The Wish Process
The Initial Contact
A wish begins with a referral. We may accept a referral from the child's physician, but
prefer to accept the referral from the parent/guardian to ensure that all necessary
information has been acquired. While taking the referral, the purpose of the
Foundation and qualifications for a wish are explained and the parent/guardian is
given the opportunity to ask questions. Our Foundation does not solicit wishes.
Therefore, families must initiate the relationship when they feel
the timing is appropriate.
Eligibility & Authorization
The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Central New York
grants wishes to children
who have reached the age of 2 ½ and are under 18 who are living with
life-threatening medical conditions that currently place their lives in jeopardy. Each
referral is given individual attention by our staff as well as equal
consideration by the child's own specialist. In fact, only the child's physician can
qualify a youngster for our program. The eligibility decision is based on medical
criteria established by our National organization. The eligibility of each child is
determined on a case-by-case basis using the National eligibility criteria as a
guideline.
Once a child has requested a specific wish, his/her physician is
asked to determine whether the wish is medically appropriate. Approval must be
granted from the physician before the wish can proceed. Once the wish has been deemed
medically appropriate it will also need to be approved by the Manager of Program
Services and/or other staff or Board members as necessary. It is unfortunate that not
all wish requests are able to be fulfilled. However, we make every effort to grant the
primary wish, with the alternate back-up, when possible.
The Wish Team
Each qualified Wish Child is assigned a team of trained Wish
Granters. These
volunteers have completed a full day training session, have passed the criminal background check, and
have worked with experienced Wish Granters to learn all the steps necessary to make wishes come true.
Wish Teams consist of two or three Wish Granters who work together to discover each child's most
heartfelt wish and together with the Program Service staff, make these dreams a reality. We strive to
create magical, memorable experiences to be cherished for a lifetime. Our mission is to bring hope,
strength and joy to the children we serve and our Wish Granters act as stewards to this mission.
Family Visits
The purpose of the family visit is for the Wish Granters to get to
know the child, identify the child's true wish and assist the parents/guardians in
completing the necessary paperwork. Wish Granters are asked to notify Program Service
staff of any issues that may need to be addressed such as medical needs for family
members other than the wish child, unusual family circumstances and the sincerity of
each child's request. Family visits may take place at the family home, in our office,
or at another location such as a restaurant or park. The comfort level of both the
family and Wish Granters should be respected and maintained. Once the paperwork is
complete and we have acquired copies of the parent/guardian valid photo identification
and copies of the children's birth certificates, we may proceed with the wish.
Granting the Wish
Each wish is intended to be a carefree time for the family.
Therefore, all the wish details and
finances related to the wish are attended to by our Program Service staff and
volunteers combined. Our staff and volunteers attempt to exceed each child's
expectations but unfortunately are unable to make promises to the family regarding any
aspect of the wish. Generally, wishes are completed within six months of the referral
date. The type of wish and medical condition of the child may determine the timing of
the wish. Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Central New York leaves no rock
unturned; each child is catered to and each detail is planned to ensure a magical,
memorable and safe wish experience.
Creating Magic
The best part of a wish is creating magical surprises for the Wish
Child and his/her family! "Magic" is created in a variety of ways. special secrets,
little surprises, unexpected gifts and the making of cherished memories. Because
surprise is such an important element in creating magic, all wish details may not be
shared with the child or disclosed to the family until the actual wish date or shortly
before the experience. To provide the most magical experience for each child, we ask
that parents and others involved in the wish allow us creative freedom while tailoring
a wish specifically to their child.
The Parent Guide
What can I expect as a parent?
As a parent you can be assured that we have your child's best
interest at heart. We are thrilled to have been invited into your lives through the
granting of this wish. However, as much as we enjoy working with you to make your
child's dream come true you owe us nothing in return. If you choose to end your
relationship with our Foundation after the granting of your child's wish, you may do
so. Once your child has been qualified for our program you can expect us to:
- Make every effort to provide hope, strength and joy to your child through the granting of his/her most heartfelt wish
- Include parents, guardians and siblings (under 18 yrs.) in the wish and try our best to make all of you feel special
- Invite extended family and close friends to Share in the power of a wish® during the wish granting process, when possible
- Provide a team of Wish Granters to work with you who are well-trained, responsible, caring and respectful; we pride ourselves on offering the best customer service at all times.
- Pay all expenses involved with the wish
- Make all of the arrangements for your child's wish to become a reality
- Be available to answer your questions and address your concerns throughout the wish granting process
What will be expected of me?
When granting your child's wish we expect that you will:
- Allow our trained volunteers to work closely with your child in determining
his/her wish. The suggestions of parents and siblings may distract the Wish Child
from choosing what will bring him/her the most joy. Please allow your child to be
selfish .just this one time.so that he/she feels comfortable thinking about and
asking for what they truly desire.
- Assist us in completing the necessary paperwork, obtaining the necessary
signatures, and providing the necessary forms and photocopies to expedite the wish
and keep planning on track.
- Welcome our Wish Granters into your home, hospital room or other location so
that they may assist our office and your family in achieving our goal to bring hope,
strength and joy to your child through the granting of a wish. We encourage all
family members to be dressed appropriately and be ready for Wish Granters when they
arrive. We also suggest that immediate family only be present at the first family
visit.
- Allow us creative freedom while granting your child's wish. This means there
will be some secrets, some surprises and lots of magic during the course of the
wish! We prefer not to share all the details of the wish with the child and/or
family for this reason. Information that you will need, to request time off of work
or to help us with the fulfillment of the wish, etc, will be provided to you.
- Understand that as hard as we try, we are not able to grant every wish request.
We are confident of our ability to provide a wonderful experience for your child and
family even if we must fall back on alternate wishes.
Our greatest hope is that we are successful in providing a
carefree, magical and memorable experience for your family. If during the course of
the wish, however, you feel that this is not the right time for a wish or that we are
not the organization to make your child's dreams come true please share these feelings
with us.
The Child's Wish
"The child's imagination is the heart of the wish and nothing
should tarnish its magic."
So often when families refer their child, they automatically visualize a trip to
Walt Disney World. Little do they know the scope of what we actually do and are able
to accomplish! We regularly grant wishes for pets, bedroom makeovers, shopping
sprees, celebrity meetings, dolphin swims, travel, cruises, computers and above
ground pools. Occasionally, we receive unique wish requests that we are also able to
fulfill such as family gatherings, wooden backyard play centers, playhouses, sport
fishing, being "slimed" at Nickelodeon and even being a soldier for a day! A
wonderful, magical wish can be created based on the child's interests such as golf,
fishing, cooking, love of the beach, etc. Give us an inch and we'll take you a mile.
Our goal is to create the most amazing wish possible for your child.
The most important job of our Wish Granters is to discover the
true wish of each child. This is the one and only time you will ever catch a
responsible adult encouraging a child to be selfish for just one moment! Although a
child may receive suggestions from others as to what they should choose, it is the
desires of the child that will determine the wish. For just one moment
they can think about themselves... what will bring them joy, what will give them the
strength to keep fighting and what will provide the hope they need to embrace the
future and all that it holds for them. We grant the wishes of children but are sure
to include the parents/guardians and juvenile siblings as much as possible and make
each member of the family feel special, too.
There are several fun ways of getting at the heart of a wish;
these include but are not limited to:
- A detailed conversation with the Wish Child
- The Wish Card Game (I wish to Go... Have... Be... Meet... )
- The Wishing Quest Board Game (this is brand new so volunteers may not be trained on this yet)
On occasion, we may solicit the feedback of your child's
physician to determine
an appropriate wish. Wishes should be medically appropriate, age appropriate and
directly related to the interests and desires of the Wish Child. All wish requests
must receive approval from both the physician and the Foundation which may include staff, the Wish Policy Committee and/or the Board.
Forms & Signatures
As with any event, there are many forms to be completed and
signatures to obtained when granting your child's heart felt wish. The first form that
you will receive is a HIPAA form for confidentiality purposes. This will be
accompanied by a letter explaining why we must obtain your signature on the form and
how this will assist us in granting the wish. The HIPAA form must be completed and
placed in your child's file before his/her eligibility can be determined. If you would
like to read the form and letter prior to calling with a referral, please click on the
link below. We can acquire this form in one of two ways: you can download the form,
sign it and mail it to us at Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Central New York,
Suite 900, 120 Madison St., Syracuse, NY 13202" or we can mail the
letter and form to your home with a self addressed stamped envelope.
Once the HIPAA form is complete and in your child's file, we send
an eligibility form to your child's specialist along with a copy of the HIPAA. The
physician will then determine, sometimes with the assistance of our Medical Advisor
at Upstate Medical University Hospital, the eligibility of your child. The
eligibility form must be signed by the treating physician and is also signed by a
witness, usually one of the nurses or nurse practitioners.
If your child qualifies for our program, there is
paperwork to be signed by the parents/legal guardians and a few photocopies needed. Every Wish Family is asked for the same documents which are then stored
securely in the Wish Child's file.
To proceed with the wish process, the following documents
should be photocopied and given to the Wish Granters at your first visit:
- A copy of both legal
 guardian's valid photo ID or driver's license
- A copy of sole custody papers, if custody is not shared
- A copy of the Wish Child's birth certificate
- A copy of the Wish Sibling's birth certificates, for those 18 and younger who reside with the Wish Child
- A copy of your car insurance declarations page, if applicable (travel wishes only)
Based on the variety of family situations that exist, we have
outlined the necessary signatures that must be obtained prior to the granting of a
wish.
- If both biological parents are married and reside with the Wish Child, both parent's signatures are needed.
- If the Wish Child resides with one parent but both parents have legal custody, both parent's signatures are needed.
- If the Wish Child resides with one parent and that parent has sole custody, only that parent's signature is needed. A copy of the custody papers are also required.
- If the Wish Child does not reside with either parent, the parent's or legal guardian's signatures are needed.
- If a step-parent has adopted the Wish Child and is now one of the legal guardians, the parent's and step-parent's signatures will be necessary as well as a copy of the adoption papers.
- The same rules apply to all siblings who are approved to participate in the wish.
During your first visit with the Wish Granters, one of the forms
you will be
asked to sign is the liability form. Based on the length of this document, we have included a link so
that you may read the form and instructions prior to your first meeting. If you have
any questions about the form or its use, please do not hesitate to call our office.
Wish Limitations
Although we try to grant even the most far-fetched wishes and make
every wish come true, there are both National and Chapter policies and performance
standards in place to ensure the safety and well being of the Wish Child, his/her
family and our organization as well.
Below are a few performance standards that may play a part in your child's wish:
- Chapters shall include in the wish the wish child's parent(s), guardian(s),
and siblings under the age of 18 who reside with the wish child when requested by
the wish child. All other potential wish participants are approved on a
case-by-case basis including: older siblings, siblings who do not reside with the
wish child, grandparents, other relatives who reside with the wish family,
step-parents and step-siblings, and others not mentioned.
- If the wish is not completed within six months of the date of referral,
chapters shall document in a wish child's file the reasons for delay. Although
most wishes are granted within six months, others may take longer based on the
medical status of the child or type of wish. Because it is advised that wishes
take place within six months, please consider that once your child qualifies, the
wish process will begin at that point. If your child is not ready for a wish at
this time, please call with a referral once he/she feels ready to begin the wish
granting process.
Unfortunately, there are some wish requests that we are unable to fulfill.
These include but are not limited to wishes that involve the use or gift of firearms
or other weapons, direct gifts of money, wishes related to medical treatment or
equipment, wishes that solicit large scale support from the general public,
construction or real estate wishes and wishes for motorized vehicles.
Due to our inability to make promises regarding the use or
purchase of specific brands, companies or dates, it is extremely important that your
child provide the Wish Granters with a minimum of two wish requests. We will make
every effort the grant the child's primary request. However, we cannot promise or
guarantee that we will be able to grant the requested wish(es) for a variety of
reasons.
|
