Little Wishes grants the immediate and ongoing wishes of chronically and critically ill, hospitalized children.
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Little Wishes™ makes a big difference for seriously ill, hospitalized children facing difficult journeys. A non-profit founded by two pediatric oncology/PICU nurses in 2003, Little Wishes helps prevent patients from losing their identity to illness by tapping into their passions. Young patients may identify what makes them happy and wish for something that will fill their hearts and brighten their darkest days. What makes Little Wishes unique is that a patient may wish for something every two weeks giving them a positive event to look forward to. Some children spend hours searching online for their wish, providing a sense of control and healing distraction from pain. Receiving wishes also helps little patients replace anxiety and fear with hope and joy. All wishes take place in the hospital and are delivered with fanfare by hospital staff. Milestones spent in the hospital are also celebrated including birthdays, graduations, and completion of treatment, creating a sense of community. In addition, Little Wishes provides comfort in a child's final days surrounding them with their most cherished belongings and providing memory making kits and keepsake lockets for the family to hold on to forever. Little Wishes has granted over 25,000 wishes to date. Little Wishes is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization Federal Tax ID 52-2386886
01/23/2026
“Some days feel endless. Some blur together. Some are filled with fear, and others with so much hope it hurts. 100 days of watching our daughter fight for her life and somehow still find ways to smile, to laugh, and to remind us what strength really looks like.” Evelyn is waiting for a heart transplant. In the middle of long hospital days and so much waiting, Little Wishes and had the honor of showing up for her with moments meant just for Evelyn. “During her wish week, she asked for an LOL doll that flies up in the air, bath bombs, and a brand new bed set. It truly made a difference for her, it brought out her smile and gave her something to look forward to during these long, challenging days. We’re so grateful for the moments of happiness they’ve given her. 💜” Quotes and photos courtesy of Hearts for Evelyn
01/22/2026
While surgeons worked to remove her brain tumor, we were busy preparing Sandria’s birthday surprise. We helped Mom keep busy in the hardest hours by decorating the room together and creating a Stitch themed birthday wish filled with everything she knew her daughter would love. When Sandria woke up, she was met with cheers from her PICU team, Sam by her side, and a birthday cake brought right to her bed. Joy, right to the bedside when it was needed most. 💚
01/20/2026
Years of fighting sickle cell, right here. Mylai grew up on this unit, coming for care since she was 10 and facing countless transfusions and sickle cell crises along the way. Today, she is preparing to say goodbye to pediatric care and step into adult care, a moment filled with gratitude, emotion, and a bond that does not end here. For her Little Wish, Mylai chose sneakers to carry her through long days of clinicals as she works toward becoming a doctor, inspired by the care that helped shape her and determined to one day give that same compassion back to others. A small wish. A big step forward. 💚
01/15/2026
In the middle of a really hard day, when Lucy was moved to the PICU for closer monitoring, something magical found its way into her room. Lucy received her second little wish, and it felt big. Confetti, a present-party, and a brand-new of her very own, something she had been wishing for. Alongside an incredible care team, this is how Little Wishes shows up, not when it’s easy, but right in the middle of the hard. 💚 Thank you to Lucy’s mom, , for capturing this moment. 🎶 Music by:
01/13/2026
Cam sacked cancer. 🏈✨
End of treatment send off with victory vibes only.
Cam says it best: “The Little Wishes program brought me lots of joy through a hard time.”
Favorite wish? AirPods, to help keep him distracted during chemo. 🎧
Game over, cancer. Big win, Cam. 💚
01/10/2026
Admitted to the hospital with necrotizing pneumonia, 7-year-old Neva spent weeks fighting for her life. Intubated and supported by Ecmo she spend 41 days in the pediatric ICU. She celebrated being out of the ICU and her Little Wishes day with her medical team and who went straight to Neva, rested her head on her lap delivering her wish with love.💚🐾
01/08/2026
This footage isn’t polished or professionally shot. It’s raw, real joy captured in hospital rooms when seriously ill children receive their little wishes.
Every wish is chosen by the child. A moment of choice in a place where so much is out of their control, and exactly what will bring them happiness right then.
We are so deeply grateful for the medical teams who help bring these moments to life, and especially for the Child Life Specialists working quietly behind the scenes, making sure each wish happens with magic across the USA in our partnered hospitals. 💚💚💚
01/06/2026
Five years ago today, we lost Cameron, but her Little Wish continues to touch countless hearts. Using one of her little wishes for watercolor pens, Cameron chose to spend her time in the hospital creating ribbon cards for other children, hand painting each one and writing the words that became our promise: Nobody fights alone. That ribbon is everything Little Wishes is about. Today, every child receives Cameron’s ribbon with their very first wish, carrying her love, her courage, and the reminder that nobody fights alone.💚🎗️special shout out to for sending over
01/04/2026
Today is Day 0 for Dawson. He is two years old and beginning a bone marrow transplant as he fights a rare leukemia.
But before anything else, his race car little wish arrives bringing a moment of joy, right when it’s needed most. 💚
01/01/2026
Did we nail it?
Tevin’s last Little Wish of the year.
In treatment for a brain tumor, superheroes are everything to him.
The game that will carry him through the hard days ahead.
“I knew it. I’m gonna play this the whole time.”
A pretty perfect way to end the year.
Happy New Year! 🎆💚
12/29/2025
Thea came in for treatment and left a princess.
On long days in the hospital for infusions and time spent in isolation, her princess dress and vanity brought sparkle and comfort. Her parents shared that this wish gave Thea something happy to look forward to and helped her walk into the hospital smiling, even on days she didn’t feel well 💕
12/28/2025
It is well known that Little Wishes was founded by pediatric nurses in memory of a special patient, Josh. What many don’t know is that from the very beginning, there has been another guiding force behind the mission:
Lori Johanson.
For over 22 years, Lori worked tirelessly to ensure every wish could come true. With extraordinary dedication, she built the financial foundation that helped Little Wishes grow from an idea born in one hospital room to a program now serving 46 hospitals across 26 states.
For more than 17 years, Lori volunteered her time, never seeking the spotlight and always working for the children. In 2017, her commitment was honored with the prestigious national Jefferson Award for community service.
Now, as Lori steps back from her role as Chief Financial Officer, we celebrate her remarkable legacy. Behind every decorated room, birthday in a hospital bed, wish fulfilled, and milestone honored, there has been Lori’s steady leadership and care. Together, she helped make possible more than 36,000 little wishes granted to children across the country.
Lori, thank you for your compassion, your leadership, and your love for this mission. The joy you made possible will continue to shine through every Little Wish granted.
• Side note that speaks volumes: In more than two decades with Little Wishes, Lori personally witnessed only three wishes. She often said she didn’t need to see them herself, because hearing the stories of the impact on children and families was more than enough. 💚
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Since 2003, Little Wishes has helped seriously ill, hospitalized children from losing their identity to illness by tapping into their passions. We encourage even the tiniest of patients to identify their happiest desire and wish for something that will fill their heart and brighten their darkest days.
Each wish, no matter how simple – a princess dress, Spiderman figure, book or a musical instrument – makes a huge difference by providing a welcome diversion and easing the discomfort of long hospitalizations and painful treatments.
All wishes are granted in the hospital and delivered with fanfare and song by hospital staff to celebrate the patient and build a supportive community. Nine-year-old cancer warrior Ryker said it best: “Little Wishes gives you that ‘we can get through this feeling’,” upon receiving his wish of a crab leg dinner to curb his chemo craving.
What makes our Little Wishes™ program unique (and why we keep the gifts little) is that a qualified child may make another wish 14 days after receiving their first little wish, and every 14 days thereafter. This is really meaningful for children who endure frequent hospitalizations or for a child who has been in the hospital for weeks or months, even years at a time.
Little Wishes has granted over 16,000 wishes in 22 hospitals in 12 states. Our current quest is to raise enough funds to keep on granting children’s wishes in perpetuity.
Your support will make a huge difference! Over 90 percent of every dollar donated goes directly to children's little wishes.
Founded by two pediatric oncology nurses in loving memory of a sweet eight-year-old Giants baseball fan named Josh.
