Make-A-Wish Ireland

The Little Garden Gathering is back and we are delighted to be working with Childminding Ireland again this year as the charity partner for their wonderful event. Childminders around Ireland are invited to organise a garden party fundraiser, creating a wonderful opportunity to host outdoor celebrations and support Make-A-Wish Ireland by raising much needed funds to make wishes come true. 💙 Thank you to the amazing team at Childminding Ireland for their support again this year and to all the fantastic childminders and families taking part! We hope you all enjoy the celebrations and have a wonderful day (hopefully with some sunshine too!) #LittleGardenGathering #ChildmindingIreland #Fundraiser #SparkJoy #LightUpHope

This time last year, our community and corporate partners took on the challenge of a life-time, and abseiled from the roof of Croke Park, all to raise vital funds for critically-ill children across Ireland. Our Abseil challenge returns to Croke Park on June 24th, and we still have a limited number of individual and team spots remaining! Take on the challenge, scale new heights, and help us to change lives today: https://buff.ly/6UsN1R7 #abseil #crokepark #fundraising #sparkjoy #lightuphope

The AIB Community €1 Million Fund is open until Friday 19th June, with up to €1 Million available for nominated charities! We would love your support, and it only takes one minute to nominate Make-A-Wish Ireland. If nominated, we could receive over €20,000 to make wishes come true for critically ill children in Ireland. If you’re an AIB customer, you can nominate us directly from your AIB mobile app! Otherwise, you can nominate us here: https://buff.ly/C7Uugdq Make sure to enter the following details: Enter your details, our charity name and charity number (20052256) Charity Location: Please select your area. Social Theme: Please select 'Other'. For “Why should they receive funding?”, you can input your own reason or simply say: "Make-A-Wish grant life changing wishes to children when they and their families need it most. This fund will help to support more of these wishes" One minute for one million reasons. Thank you for nominating Make-A-Wish Ireland. #aibcommunityfund #nomination #sparkjoy #lightuphope

Meet 16-year-old Jack from Portlaoise. Jack was diagnosis with Cerebral Palsy with life-threatening complications, and faces challenges every day. Regular visits to University Hospital Limerick are part of his routine, but through it all, he brings incredible resilience and warmth to everyone around him. Speaking with mum Michelle, we learned about Jack’s love for movement, colour, and sensory experiences. Tropical fish and the ocean, with their vibrant colours and calming motion, bring him a special sense of relaxation. It was clear what his wish would be: a beautiful tropical fish aquarium of his own! Everything came together on the weekend of Jack’s 16th birthday. Our friends at Seahorse Aquariums worked their magic, carefully installing a stunning aquarium right in Jack’s home. Every detail was thoughtfully designed, to create a serene, sensory space just for him. The aquarium also included characters from some of Jack’s favourite shows, can you recognise any? With the help of community volunteer Rosemarie, the final touches were put in place, all ready to surprise Jack. When Jack returned home he found an ocean waiting for him. His very own tropical world, filled with colour and movement, a place where he can relax, feel calm, and simply be. It was the perfect way to celebrate turning 16 in style. Jack’s mum, Michelle, told us “We cannot thank you enough for Jack’s aquarium, it’s absolutely stunning! Jack loves the aquarium, it gives him the space to relax and chill and just to watch the fish for hours on end, the sounds and colours are all so perfect for him.” Moments like this remind us that a wish is so much more than a gift, it’s comfort, joy, and a space to just breathe. Happy 16th birthday Jack! #wishwednesday #jackswish #sparkjoy #lightuphope

Looking for the perfect end-of-year gift for your teacher? Give a gift certificate that shows your appreciation while making a real difference. Let them know they’re not only helping students but also critically-ill children through your generous gift. With the school year almost over, now is the time to organise a meaningful way to say thank you. https://buff.ly/weJ3xhA #teachers #giftcertificates #thankyou #sparkjoy #lightuphope

We want to thank everybody who took part in the annual Make-A-Wish Ireland Golf Classic yesterday at Powerscourt Golf Club. On a beautiful sunny day 33 teams participated, followed by a BBQ and live entertainment from our wonderful MC Aonghus McNnally. Huge credit goes to our fantastic organising committee of Thomas Murphy, John Gleeson, Éanna Casey and Bernard Gibbons for their dedication and hard work in bringing this event to life. To all of our participants and generous sponsors, thank you for your support. Together, you helped turn a great day of golf into something truly meaningful. The highlight of the evening was when wish child Michael told his incredible story, culminating in meeting the Irish Football team and seeing them beat Portugal! Events like this are a powerful reminder of the strength of community and the impact we can have when we come together with a shared purpose. Thanks to your support, we can continue to grant life-changing wishes for critically ill children across Ireland. #golfclassic #fundraising #community #sparkjoy #lightuphope

Meet Teagan, a creative six-year-old from County Cork with a big imagination. She adores arts and crafts, spending time with her family, and most of all, being out in nature. Over the past year, Teagan’s childhood has looked very different from what any child’s should. After being diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, she spent many long days and nights as an inpatient between Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Cork University Hospital, and later Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. Hospital life meant Teagan had to miss out on so many of the simple joys of being a little girl, going on adventures, exploring the outdoors, and making happy memories away from treatment. But through some of the hardest moments, Teagan held onto something very special: her wish. Teagan’s mum told us that as a family, they often spoke about going camping. It became their little escape during hospital days, something bright and exciting to dream about when everything around them felt frightening and uncertain. They would talk about being surrounded by trees, sleeping somewhere cosy, spending time together, and enjoying nature as a family. Before many of Teagan’s general anaesthetics, when she felt nervous or afraid, her mum Tarien would gently speak to her about her wish. She would tell Teagan to close her eyes and dream about her camping trip, to imagine the adventure and the fresh air. Thinking about her wish gave Teagan a way to leave the hospital behind. It gave her strength during some of her toughest days and lifted her spirits when she needed it most. Recently, Teagan’s wish came true! Teagan, her brother Mason, and her parents enjoyed a family getaway at Center Parcs, nestled in Longford Forest. After so much time spent inside hospital walls, Teagan finally got to be surrounded by fresh air, laughter, and the freedom of nature. The family stayed in a cosy woodland lodge and made the kind of memories they had dreamed about for so long. Teagan got to meet baby owls, have her face painted, take part in an Easter egg hunt, try her hand at archery, and explore the forest on a family nature quest. For Teagan and her family, this wish was so much more than a holiday. It was the dream they had spoken about in hospital rooms. It was the thought that helped calm her before anaesthetics. It was the bright little light she held onto through long days, scary moments, and months spent far from home. Tarien told us “After everything Teagan has been through, seeing her surrounded by nature, smiling, exploring, and simply enjoying being a child again meant more than words can ever fully explain. Teagan’s wish gave her back a piece of childhood. It turned a hospital dream into a real family adventure. And for that, we will always be grateful.”

A great day out at Westmanstown Golf Club! On Friday, May 15th, we were in attendance at the Westmanstown Golf Club's Captain's Charity Day. It was fantastic to see so many members, guests, and supporters come together for such a positive and enjoyable event. A big thank you to captains Laura and Paddy for organising such a successful day, and to St. Raphael's credit union for supporting the event. A special mention as well to RAMS in Rhythm for their brilliant performance, adding to the atmosphere on the day. It was made even more meaningful when a club member shared the story of their son's wish, showing the incredible impact wishes can have in communities throughout Ireland. Thank you to everyone who took part on the day, your support will help us to grant more life-changing wishes to critically-ill children this year. #CommunitySupport #ThankYou #SparkJoy #LightUpHope

Our Volunteer Superstars operate across the country, and dedicate their time to help make life-changing wishes come true. From Donegal to Cork, from Limerick to Dublin, our team of passionate community volunteers help to capture wish children’s wishes, deliver magical wish experiences, fundraise and raise awareness across Ireland. From everybody here at Make-A-Wish Ireland, a huge thank you to each and every Make-A-Wish Ireland volunteer. We couldn’t do what we do without you! #NationalVolunteerWeek #Volunteering #SparkJoy #LightUpHope

To celebrate National Volunteer Week, we recently caught up with one of our community volunteers, Aggie, and asked her what volunteering meant to her. “Volunteering for Make-A-Wish Ireland makes me feel hopeful and genuinely uplifted. From start to finish, you experience so much kindness, generosity, and goodness in people. Even though the families are facing difficult circumstances, being part of creating happy memories for them is incredibly rewarding and meaningful.” Thank you for everything you do for our wish children Aggie! #NationalVolunteerWeek #Volunteering #SparkJoy #LightUpHope