Chris, The First Wish
This is how it all started…
With a mother’s wish to make her child’s dream come true.
In 1980, 7-year-old Chris from Phoenix, Arizona (USA) wanted to become a police officer.
But the young boy was fighting leukemia and begun losing hope, along with his dreams.
Whenever he saw a police helicopter flying overhead, he was filled with admiration. It was his whole world.
“What if I could see it up close?” he once asked his mother, Linda.
When the police chief heard about Chris’s wish, he wondered,
“What if he didn’t just see it… but got to ride it?”
His colleagues joined in:
“What if we made him a uniform and put him through training?”
“What if we organized a crime-fighting mission so he could catch the bad guys?”
“And if he proves to be a good police officer, shouldn’t he receive a medal?”
That day, Chris transformed.
He was stronger, happier, and filled with hope for the future.
Sadly, that “tomorrow” never came for Chris.
But that single act changed the world.
A few months later, Chris’s mother, Linda, returned to the police station to thank them. She encouraged them to continue offering this gift of hope to other children fighting critical illnesses.
And from that spontaneous act of love, Make-A-Wish was born. With only the money they had at the time—just $37.76—Linda and the Phoenix police officers founded Make-A-Wish America.
In 1993, Make-A-Wish International was established to bring the power of a wish to children all over the world.
From Phoenix… to the whole world
Today, Make-A-Wish operates in 51 countries with the support of more than 32,000 volunteers. To date, over 615,000 wishes have been granted worldwide. Every 25 seconds, somewhere in the world, a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. At the very same moment, somewhere else, a child’s wish is being granted.
The Story Continues in Greece…
This inspiring idea quickly spread beyond America, touching the hearts of children around the world and establishing Make-A-Wish as the largest wish-granting charitable organization globally.
In Greece, Make-A-Wish Greece was founded in 1996. The first Greek wish was granted on March 6, 1997. It was the wish of Andreas, who dreamed of playing with his favorite football team, Olympiacos.
Dressed in his team uniform, Andreas arrived at the stadium in a limousine, met his heroes, and stepped onto the field for training. He dribbled, took penalty shots, and jumped with joy!
Later, he received a commemorative plaque from the coach and a football signed by all the players.
That day was forever etched in his memory.
Andreas, now victorious in his battle with illness, still remembers that moment,
which gave him the strength and faith to fight for a healthy future.
"If one incredible dream of yours comes true, then your dream of getting better comes even closer."
Today in Greece
Thanks to the support of volunteers, sponsors, supporters, and staff, Make-A-Wish Greece grants more than one wish every day!
Each wish is a story of hope.
Each child is a reminder that miracles can happen.
