We are honored to name Little Wishes as the Rylee + Cru Foundation Grant Recipient for the month of November. Little Wishes is a non-profit dedicated to brightening the lives of seriously ill, hospitalized children. Founded by pediatric nurses, the organization grants wishes every two weeks directly in the hospital, celebrating birthdays, milestones, and moments of joy. Through thoughtful gifts and experiences, Little Wishes brings comfort, hope, and a sense of magic to children and families during challenging times.
Read our Q&A with team members, Alex Cameron (Development Director), Tracy Scheff (Program Director) and Laura Euphrat (President/Co-founder) to learn more about Little Wishes mission and impact.
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Q&A
Q. For readers who may not know, what is the mission behind Little Wishes and how did it all begin?
A. Little Wishes was co-founded in 2003 by pediatric oncology nurses, Laura Euphrat, RN, and Joanne Davantes, in memory of their patient, eight-year-old Josh, who was battling liver cancer. Even during his hardest days, Josh found joy in the little things, like riding down to the hospital gift shop or talking about his favorite team, the San Francisco Giants. Laura and Joanne saw how these small moments brought him comfort and realized that seriously ill children need more than medicine: they need joy, hope, and choice.
Seriously ill hospitalized children face not only physical pain but also emotional isolation. These children endure long hospital stays, missing school, birthdays, milestones, and often facing life-threatening diagnoses. Little Wishes gives them the power to choose a wish every two weeks, restoring joy, control, and normalcy in an environment that can feel anything but. Wishes are delivered by the child’s own medical team. Whether it is a teen celebrating a birthday in the ICU, a patient’s room transformed for the holidays, or a young child receiving a superhero costume to feel brave before a procedure, no milestone is ever missed. Each wish brings comfort and joy in the most challenging times, including at the end of life when Little Wishes helps families create lasting memories and peaceful moments filled with love, along with keepsakes they can hold onto forever.
Since its founding in 2003, Little Wishes has granted more than 36,000 wishes to children across 46 hospitals in 26 states.
Q. Can you share a favorite story or moment that captures the heart of what Little Wishes does for children and their families?
A. Small moments of joy create a lasting, meaningful impact, which often becomes evident long after a wish has been granted. For example, Sarah, at age 11 wished for a Walkman to help distract her during chemotherapy. Her nurse was the Little Wishes founder, Nurse Laura, and she was so moved by the kindness she received that she later became a pediatric bone marrow transplant nurse at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in California. She now delivers Little Wishes herself and delivered her first wish with Nurse Laura, which was an incredibly special moment for them both!
A testimony from Jennifer Workman:
My son Marshall sustained significant burns in the summer of 2023. He was in the PICU at Stroger in Chicago for a few weeks and was the first ever recipient of a wish at their hospital. Following his accident and surgeries Marshall had to relearn how to walk and use his hands. I will never forget his wish coming at the perfect time. He was recently post skin graft surgery and was so anxious and scared to walk. Little wishes threw him a Spider-Man themed party complete with a rolling/dancing Spider-Man. We would let the spider man go down the hall and he would try to walk/stand to follow it. Truly the party, the small gifts to cheer him up, and all the staff cheering him on with green get ups is what kickstarted his energy to get back home. It was beautiful and forever imprinted in my heart and mind.
Q. How do hospitals and caregivers get involved in helping to grant these wishes?
A. A key aspect of Little Wishes is that all wishes are granted within the hospital and delivered by the child's own healthcare team. These dedicated healthcare professionals administer the program alongside their primary responsibilities, providing invaluable support without additional cost.
Not only do the wishes brighten a child's day, but they also uplift their families and the medical staff who have the privilege of delivering these special moments. Medical staff often share how meaningful it is to take a break from medical realities to sit with their patients, dream up wishes, and share in the joy of making those wishes come true.
Each wish is delivered with fanfare in the hospital, complete with songs, pom-poms, and wands by hospital staff, making every experience truly magical. Since wishes are granted by the child’s own healthcare team, they can be delivered every day of the year.
Q. What does the holiday season look like for Little Wishes - are there special initiatives or ways people can get involved right now?
A. There is nothing like being home for the holidays, but the reality is, countless children will be in the hospital, missing out on their family’s holiday traditions. Little Wishes brings comfort, joy, and holiday magic to these children, who are bravely fighting to get stronger.
We deliver the warmth and spirit of holiday traditions such as Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and more directly to their bedsides, with personalized holiday décor, traditional feasts and hand-picked holiday wishes, brightening their days and filling their hearts with joy.
Donations made to Little Wishes during this time of year, will turn seriously ill children’s hospital rooms into cozy hospital wonderlands, bringing joy, restoring hope, and ensuring no hospitalized child feels forgotten.
Q. Looking ahead, what are Little Wishes' goals or hopes for the future?
A. Sadly, there will always be children facing serious illnesses, and with that comes the ongoing need for moments of joy and comfort. Today, more than 90 hospitals across the country are on our waitlist, eager to bring the joy of Little Wishes to their young patients.
Our goal is to reach every children’s hospital nationwide, so every eligible child, regardless of where they receive care, has the chance to experience the joy of a wish.
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We are honored to support organizations that are making positive impacts in the lives of children (and families) across the nation who are sadly battling serious illnesses. Submit an application to recommend a 501(c)(3) non-profit making a difference in your community and each month we’ll select one to receive a $10,000 grant in your name.
Thank you for joining us in this meaningful work.
