No child should ever have to endure the struggle and pain that come with battling a life-threatening illness. Giving back to these children, what their illness has taken away – laughter, strength, hope and joy, is our sole purpose at the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey.

Whether it’s 5-year old Amanda experiencing the magic of Disney, 11-year old Katie having her bedroom made over or 6 year-old Gary joining the Yankees at batting practice, a wish gives each child a chance to forget the doctors, the treatments and the hospital stays.

We hope you will join us - whether as a volunteer, a contributor, or both - in helping us continue creating our special brand of magic through the “power of a wish”.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization governed by a diverse and respected volunteer Board of Directors. We are chartered under the auspices of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, Phoenix, Arizona. The New Jersey Chapter, founded in 1983, serves the entire state of New Jersey.

We are often asked how the magic of Make-A-Wish began. Here is the story of a little boy who's dream to become a police officer was the inspiration for an organization that has now granted over 148,000 wishes.

All his life, Christopher James Greicius dreamed of becoming a police officer. In his eyes, the police represented strength, power, and the goodness in life. Chris' dream meant more than anything to him, but even he couldn't have known that his wish would serve as the inspiration for the largest wish-granting organization in the world.

Chris and his mother Linda had become friends with U.S. Customs Officer Tommy Austin in 1977. The first time Chris met Tommy, Chris displayed his law enforcement skills by telling him, "Freeze, I'm a cop!" An instant friendship was created. Tommy had promised Chris a ride in a police helicopter, and in the spring of 1980 – when Chris became ill – Tommy contacted Officer Ron Cox at the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) about making Chris' wish come true. Ron was more than eager to oblige, and he recruited other DPS members to create a magical experience for Chris.

April 29, 1980, was Chris' special day – when Chris' wish was granted. He called Tommy early in the morning and reminded him. "You haven't forgotten? I've been up for an hour and I'm ready to go." Ron arranged for a DPS helicopter to pick up Chris and escort him around the city of Phoenix, landing at the DPS. Three squad cars and a motorcycle ridden by Officer Frank Shankwitz welcomed their new friend. This 7-year-old bundle of energy immediately greeted Frank and told him how "neato" his motorcycle was; however, he passed on a ride, citing a lack of doors as his primary reason.

Chris was known as the "Bubble Gum Trooper" among his law enforcement buddies. He went nowhere without his trusty bubble gum. He even took time out of his busy day to share a pack of bubble gum with the director of DPS. To top off what had already been an incredible day for this little dynamo, he was sworn in as the first ever and only honorary state trooper in Arizona history.

The following day Ron contacted John's Uniforms, the company responsible for making the highway patrol uniforms, about making a uniform for Chris. The company was so moved by Chris' wish that it decided to get involved in adding to his wish experience. The owner and two seamstresses worked all night to custom tailor a highway patrolman uniform for Chris. On May 1st, several officers presented Chris, whose illness had taken a turn for the worse, with an official Arizona Highway Patrol uniform.

Chris had been fascinated by the motorcycle wings Frank wore on his uniform, and Frank explained that Chris needed to pass a motorcycle proficiency test before the wings could be presented to him. The officers set up a motorcycle course where Chris could take his test on his battery-operated motorcycle. Needless to say, Chris passed with flying colors.

On May 2, 1980, Chris was back in the hospital. He was so proud and happy about being a patrolman that he asked that his uniform be hung in the window of his room and his motorcycle helmet and "Smokey the Bear" hat be placed on his dresser so he could see them. To make Chris' wish even more complete, Frank ordered a set of uniform motorcycle wings. With Linda's blessing, Frank presented Chris with the wings. Chris' smile lit up the room. The following day, Chris Greicius passed away, but not before having realized his greatest dream.

Chris was to be buried in Kewanee, Illinois. DPS spokesman Allen Schmidt promised that two Arizona officers would make the trip to Illinois to say goodbye to Chris. Scott Stahl, a DPS officer and a native of Joliet, Illinois, joined Frank Shankwitz on the sad mission.

On the flight back to Arizona, Frank and Scott were reflecting on Chris' magical experience. They saw how happy Chris was knowing his wish came true, and that the wish seemed to take some of Chris and Linda's pain away – replacing the anguish with smiles and laughter. They thought that if one boy's wish could be granted, maybe the same could be done for other children. At that moment, the idea of the Make-A-Wish Foundation was born.

Upon returning to Phoenix, the idea of granting wishes to other ill children was presented to many of the people that were integral in granting Chris' wish. Linda and others endorsed the plan. Thus, the Chris Greicius Make-A-Wish Memorial – which later became known as the Make-A-Wish Foundation – was born.

To date, more than 148,000 wishes have been granted to children with life-threatening illnesses. And in New Jersey, our chapter has granted over 4,800 wishes since its inception in 1983.

Each year, over 400 children in the State of New Jersey experience the magic and power of a wish. It is through the incredible generosity of our contributors, the dedication of our volunteers and the tireless support of our staff that each of these wishes becomes a reality.

A wish begins once a child is referred to our organization. With the approval of the family, anyone can refer a child, whether it’s a parent, a teacher, a medical professional, a social worker, a friend or even the child. Upon receiving the referral, a confidential discussion with the child’s doctor is held to determine whether the child is medically eligible to receive a wish. Medical eligibility is based on the medical criteria established by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and includes a broad range of life-threatening illnesses.

Once medically eligibility is established, our volunteers and staff take over from there. A volunteer team contacts the child’s family and sets-up an initial visit. The magic of a wish begins on that visit when our volunteers ask the child one simple question… "If you had one wish, what would it be?" The limitless answers, especially when fueled by a child’s imagination, are the very essence of what we do.

Some children have an immediate answer. Others need time to think about it. Regardless of how unique or seemingly impossible, our volunteers and staff go to great lengths to make the dream a reality and to make the wish the most magical of moments in the child’s life.

While there are some restrictions in place to protect the safety of our children, a child's wish is only limited by his or her imagination. Wishes usually fit into one of the following categories: I want to have, I want to go, I want to meet, or I want to be.

Trips to experience the magic of Disney continue to be our most requested wish. Computers have also become extremely popular for children of all ages and for special needs children who use their computer as a communication device. Yet our children continue to inspire us all with their unique and heart-warming requests, such as six-year old Ashley’s wish for a swing set. But not just any swing set. She shyly asked her volunteers if it would be possible to get two swings on her swing set. They asked why two swings were so important. Her answer was an inspirational testament to the power of a wish. “Since I’ve been so sick, I’ve never had a friend…and if I have an extra swing, maybe I can make a friend”.

Children between the ages of 2 1/2 and 18, diagnosed with a life-threatening illness are potentially eligible for a wish. A child cannot have received a wish from another Make-A-Wish chapter or another wish-granting organization. It is important to note that our qualification is based on the illness being “life-threatening.” It does NOT mean that the illness is terminal or that we are granting the child’s “last wish.” Every day advances in medical technology help many of our wish children go on to lead healthy and productive lives.

In fact, it has been the experience of many doctors, nurses and other health care providers that having a wish come true can be an integral part of the healing process for a child battling a life-threatening illness. A wish gives them a chance to forget treatments and hospital stays as they plan the wish, anticipate its arrival, experience it to the fullest, and then have wonderful memories that will continue to sustain them and their family through the days ahead.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation respects the privacy of the children and families it serves. We consider all wish child information confidential and will not discuss the information with outside parties unless it is needed for the fulfillment of the wish, and the parents or guardians have consented.

Children can be referred to us in many ways, once the parent's permission has been granted, including a referral from a physician or other health-care professional, a social worker, the child's parents, guardian or other relative, a teacher, friend, or directly from the wish child. Wishes are granted without regard to race, creed, color or financial status. Medical eligibility is determined by the child's personal physician. To date, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey has not turned down one medically qualified child.

If you believe you know a child who might qualify for a wish, please click here to complete an online wish referral form (Please note: you will be connected to the Make-A-Wish of America web site) or contact Nancy Ryan, nryan@wishnj.org or call 908-964-5055, ext. 119 or 1-800-252-WISH.