WHO WE ARE

Little Wishes is a nonprofit organization staffed entirely by volunteers. Founded in November, 2002 by two Pediatric/Pediatric intensive care nurses, Little Wishes was created to bring comfort and happiness to hospitalized children. Little Wishes was promptly granted 501(c)(3) status in May of 2003 and established a board of directors with advisors made up of thirteen highly qualified individuals.

Little Wishes grants wishes of limited dollar amounts but of significant value to seriously ill children during their hospitalization. These children’s treatments can often be rigorous, painful, and the effects lasting – both physically and mentally. The granting of a modest wish greatly eases hospitalized children’s pain and serves to improve their spirits and outlook during their hospitalization.

Little Wishes asks the hospitalized children what brings them joy and what they feel passionate about. Some examples of children’s wishes have been books, musical CDs, videos, art supplies, animal visits, special meals, toys and games. All wishes take place in the hospital with the purpose of bringing comfort and distraction to the child enduring medical treatments and regimes. What makes Little Wishes’ program unique is that a qualified child may make another wish fourteen days after receiving their first little wish! This is beautiful for children who endure frequent hospitalizations or for a child who has been in the hospital for weeks or months at a time. It gives the child a significant and happy event to look forward to.

The Inspiration for Little Wishes

In the summer of 2002, a sweet 8-year-old baseball fan named Josh was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive type of liver cancer. His days in the hospital soon turned into months. As fall approached and baseball season revved up, Josh inspired the hospital staff with his infectious love of the San Francisco Giants. The staff helped decorate Josh’s hospital room with a cornucopia of Giants memorabilia. As it looked like the Giants were going to make it to the World Series that year, the staff would sneak off to Josh's room to watch moments of the playoff games.

Josh was able to see his favorite team make it to the World Series just weeks before he passed away, a dream come true for an avid baseball fan. However, it was the littlest things that brought great happiness to Josh during his most difficult and painful stay in the hospital — the spontaneous visits from staff, the Giants pennants that they tacked up in his room — that made him smile. And even a simple trip to the hospital gift shop in his wheelchair hooked up to his oxygen tank, to eye the candy, was a great adventure and distraction for him. Josh showed us that it is often a kind gesture, a simple “little wish,” that can bring so much joy to a hospitalized child.

Laura Euphrat and Joanne Davantes, two of Josh's nurses, founded Little Wishes in his memory with the goal of bringing smiles to the faces of hospitalized children like Josh.

Here are just a few examples of Little Wishes for children...

Celine is a 3-year-old girl who was just diagnosed with kidney cancer. She and her family wished for Disney princess books and musical videos to help comfort and distract her during her chemotherapy treatments in the hospital.
Mario is a 16-year-old boy with Cystic Fibrosis. He was happy to be able to wish for a chessboard and computer games to help entertain him during his multiple respiratory treatments and 3-week hospital stay.
Sadie is a 5-year-old girl with leukemia. She loves animals. Her “little wish” was for a puppy to visit her while receiving her chemotherapy treatments in the hospital.
Ben is a 7-year-old boy who was hospitalized for severe pneumonia. He endured two surgeries for placement of a chest tube and stayed in the hospital almost one month. His passion is music. Little Wishes was able to provide him with a portable CD player and children’s musical CDs to help comfort and distract him during his lengthy hospitalization.