Christmas wishes waiting to be granted

6-year-old Thomas has been in and out of hospital since 2021.

His mum Luci remembers when it all started: “Thomas was out riding his scooter and cut his lip. It just wasn’t healing. That’s how I realised something was wrong.”

Luci sent photos to their GP, and soon after, Thomas was diagnosed with leukaemia. In that one moment, their whole world upended. “Our ‘normal’ became midnight rushes to Starship. It was hideous.”

The cancer treatments have been incredibly hard on Thomas, and the whole family. There have been cancelled plans and constant stress. But the whole way through, little Thomas has been an absolute champion.

But deep inside him, nestled safe in his little heart, 6-year-old Thomas has a wish that he would dearly love to be granted this Christmas.

Thomas wishes to go in a helicopter to an island, go swimming with his family and friends, and see Batman’s faithful sidekick Robin.

Please, will make a donation to help grant Thomas’ wish this Christmas?

Aless’s journey started many years back, when she was only 2-and-a-half years old.

Rachel and Ian watched with increasing dread as their toddler vomited and struggled with balance. The GP couldn’t discover what was wrong, but eventually, they secured an appointment with a paediatrician who booked Aless in for an MRI.

The scan revealed a large brain tumour. And in just 24 hours, this little girl’s life went from carefree games and fun at home to brain surgery, followed by a long and gruelling course of chemotherapy and radiation.

It’s been a tough time, for the whole family. Rachel told us: “For the first 10 days of each month, her body was pumped with chemicals that were so toxic we had to wear protective clothing when changing her nappies.”

The days of painful treatments stretched into weeks, months, and then years. There have been multiple scares, including a time when Aless lost consciousness in a swimming pool and had to be resuscitated.

“We’ve lost count now, but she’s had over 50 general anaesthetics and 20-30 MRIs." 

Aless is now 16 years old and her wish is to go swimming with dolphins in Akaroa.

After everything Aless has been through, for more than a decade, I know you’ll agree that she absolutely deserves to have her wish granted this Christmas.

There are over 300 sick Kiwi kids waiting for their wishes to be granted.

A letter from a Wish Mum

To a friend I haven't met,

My name is Lisa. A few years ago, my son Freddie began complaining about sore legs. They were so sore, he couldn't walk. His appetite was gone, and he was pale and tired.

I took him to a doctor, and she told me, "You have to take him for a blood test right now." We had woken up in the morning and thought it was a normal day. Suddenly it wasn't.

As soon as we heard 'leukaemia', our whole life was up in the air. Everything became about illness and recovery. And in the last few years, it's been so easy to get bogged down in the negative. Having a sick child sucks all the positive out of our lives.

But Make-A-Wish is an amazing gift. It is such a blast of positivity that there are people who want to help: people like you. Please don't underestimate the hope and support that brings. It means everything.

And while Freddie has been a trooper, I know that he feels like he's missed out on a lot of things.

That's why Freddie's wish is to go on a plane somewhere with all his family, and on a boat where he can swim, and fish, and have some sort of adventure - to make up for all the time he spent in hospital.

Please note, if we raise enough money to grant all Christmas wishes on this page, the extra funds will be allocated to other wishes in our pipeline.