True Story Of How One Boy’s Wish Gave Rise To A Global Movement

The majority of us have heard of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the wonderful work they do to help grant the wishes of children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions. But do you know how the organization got started? It began with a special young boy and grew into a global movement.

Chris Greicius was born prematurely in 1972. When nurses put him in the arms of his mother, Linda Pauling, they told her not to get attached as they didn’t expect him to live.

She knew he would, but she also knew he would never grow up. She says she knew this just from looking at him. That’s why she made every day with him count.

Years later, Linda and her family learned that Chris had leukemia. On that day, Linda vowed to be a better mother to Chris and to have more fun with him. That’s also when family and friends came together to make Chris’ last days special.

Their efforts made Chris very happy and would evolve into giving hundreds of thousands of children special experiences. To date more than 334,000 wishes have been granted worldwide, funded entirely through private donations and corporate sponsors, and fulfilled by volunteers.

Check out the touching video below as the co-founders tell the story in their own words.

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