How to Make a Wish Come True

“Every donation plays a role in creating these moments and bringing these wishes to life,” says Steven Glaser, director of wish-granting at Wish of a Lifetime.

Wish recipients have gone whale-watching in Alaska, traversed national parks and returned to their childhood roots in Japan. But a wish is not a vacation. “We are helping to overcome challenges that have kept a dream out of reach for years,” Glaser says. “Health needs, logistics and financial barriers all serve as impediments to living with hope and joy.”

Any wishes involving travel must be in service of realizing a longtime goal, or reconnecting with a person or part of one’s past. “We get a lot of requests to go to Hawaii,” Glaser notes. But the organization will filter for those with a personal tie; for one 93-year-old World War II veteran, who spent the day of the Pearl Harbor attacks extinguishing fires on its naval base, that meant commemorating the 75th anniversary of the attacks on-site.

Similarly, Wish of a Lifetime will look for a meaningful story underpinning any request for a celebrity encounter. For example, the organization arranged for an 83-year-old Korean War veteran and lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan to tour the National Football League team’s training facility in Minneapolis. The fan, who grew up as an orphan on the streets of Duluth, also got to “break the huddle” during practice and attend a game — his first in more than 50 years — and got his jersey signed by his favorite player, Adrian Peterson.

But a Wish of a Lifetime wish doesn’t need to involve a far-flung destination or meeting a VIP. “It could be riding a bike again after a tragic accident, or meeting grandchildren for the first time,” Glaser says. “We are granting just as many of those wishes.”

Glaser made one of these understated wishes come true himself when he formed a connection with Kathy, a woman who lived in low-income housing near the Wish of a Lifetime headquarters in Denver. As she slowly warmed up to him over jigsaw puzzles, Glaser learned that she grew up in a foster home across from Denver’s City Park. She then spent years living homeless in the park, where she watched families and school groups visit the park’s Denver Zoo. Kathy’s dream was to do the same.

Wish of a Lifetime made it happen with a behind-the-scenes tour.

“They rolled out the red carpet for her,” Glaser says. Kathy fed giraffes and met zookeepers, but most importantly, he says, “she felt seen and heard.”

How the Magic Happens

This year, Wish of a Lifetime is on track to complete nearly 300 wishes. The organization receives over 1,000 applications a year.

A team of wish managers scans each application and forwards qualifying candidates to a wish specialist who vets the wish nominator and nominee, typically through a phone or video conversation.

Wish fulfillment specialist Danielle Cavendish says these conversations are her favorite part of the process.

“My role is to lead with curiosity and ask questions to probe people to open up,” she says. “We’ll spend as much time as we need to understand who our recipient is and why their wish matters.”

A committee of volunteers meets weekly to review each wish and determine if it is something they can fulfill.

There is no set timeline for how long the process takes, but Cavendish has fulfilled wishes in as little as two weeks. She has had others on her plate for nearly a year. But the organization updates applicants regularly with their status.

Sampson’s wish has been in the works for about six months. Diane, his wife, submitted his nomination. Cavendish was drawn to Sampson’s enthusiasm for racing, his bond with Brooklyn and his generosity in mentoring other heart transplant patients.

Wish of a Lifetime fulfillment specialists get creative when designing the wish experience. When Cavendish contacted Circuit of the Americas with Sampson’s story, the facility donated two tickets for Sampson and Brooklyn to attend all events during race weekend.

“They said, ‘Absolutely, we would love to have him,’ ” says Cavendish. “That is the resounding sentiment.