Make-A-Wish & Starlight Children's Foundation
Make-A-Wish America / Starlight
Make-A-Wish grants wishes for children roughly 2.5–17 at referral with a critical illness — progressive, degenerative, or malignant life-threatening conditions. The child need not be terminal, and there is no cost or income test. Starlight delivers in-hospital programs including gaming stations, VR, hospital gowns, and toy deliveries at 800+ US facilities, and families can join the free Starlight Families program for at-home resources.
Barth syndrome with cardiomyopathy has historically qualified for Make-A-Wish; the determination is made by the child's treating physician with Make-A-Wish medical review.
Make-A-Wish: children ~2.5–17 with a qualifying condition, one wish per child. Starlight: via participating hospitals, plus the free family program.
Make-A-Wish referrals come from a parent or guardian, medical professional, or the child at wish.org/refer-a-child.
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Last updated August 28, 2026 · Suggest an update to this entry