Judith Stone has been with the Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia chapter of the Make-A-Wish foundation for 32 years, the last 22 as CEO.
The Pittsburgh-based chapter has been granting wishes for seriously ill children in the region since 1983, just three years after the organization was founded in Phoenix, Ariz.
Ms. Stone is passionate about the group’s mission: creating sunshine in the lives of children facing their own mortality.
“We are hoping to physically, mentally and emotionally help these kids over a really tough time,” she says. “We have impact studies that show it is working. Certainly their attitude goes off the charts.”
She recently discussed the anatomy of a wish — and the one she will never forget.
This interview has been edited for space and clarity.
PG: For people who aren’t that familiar with the organization, could you briefly explain what Make-A-Wish is all about?
A: Our mission is to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. That means that children between the ages of 2½ and 18 who have been diagnosed with a critical illness are eligible for a wish.
Children are referred to us mostly from the children’s medical team. Parents and guardians and family members also can make referrals.
PG: Where do most of your donations come from?
A: About 50% comes from corporations and foundations, 41% from individuals, 6.7% from organizations and churches and 2.3% from schools and universities.
PG: Roughly how many requests for wishes does the organization get each year?
A: We normally get about 500 referrals a year, just our chapter. Nationally, I don’t know. We are one of the bigger chapters.
PG: You must get many more wishes a year than you can grant. How do you make such painful choices?
A: That’s interesting. There has never been a time when an eligible child did not receive a wish. If they are qualified, we can do a wish in as quickly as 24 hours. Most of the wishes are done within six to nine months.
PG: Who decides who is eligible?
A: Eligibility is determined by our national medical affairs team with input from the child’s specialist.
PG: Are there any limitations on the type of wish that can be granted?
A: There are five types: Travel, which is “I wish to go”; gift, which is “I wish to have”; celebrity, “I wish to meet”; occupational, “I wish to be”, and philanthropic, “I wish to give”.
PG: Are there limits on the cost?
A: No. It all sorts itself out. The average cost is $4,400, which is the cost of sending a family of four to Disney World for one week.
PG: So a trip to Disney is the most popular wish?
A: Yes, 50% of people wish to go to Disney.
PG: Is there anything you think people would be surprised to know about Make-A-Wish?
A: The biggest misconception is that the child has to be terminally ill to receive a wish. Children must have a critical or life-threatening condition. It’s not just the last wish, the dying wish. It’s something we have been working on [clarifying] from the beginning.
Our biggest problem is explaining the impact of a wish, that it contributes substantially to the child’s physical and emotional health. We are making these children better. What we are trying to do is change these lives and make them better.
PG: What are some of the most unusual or memorable wishes your organization has granted?
A: One of our favorites happened in 1999, and has been replicated by just about every other chapter.
We had a child named Michael with cystic fibrosis who wanted to be a superhero. We created a superhero called “Beetle Boy,” who ran about the city in a Volkswagen Beetle doing good deeds.
His right hand had a green glove and his left hand had a red glove. With his stop-and-go powers, he saved a damsel in distress from a train; he saved Pittsburgh from a drought by starting the water at the Point, and he saved the Pitt Panther from extinction.
He’s now a grown man and doing well.
That was the most fun and creative.
PG: How can people make a donation?
A: Go to wish.org/greaterpawv or call 800-676-9474.
Patricia Sabatini: PSabatini@post-gazette.com; 412-263-3066.
First Published: July 5, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
Updated: July 5, 2022, 1:51 p.m.
