Little Wishes

Little Wishes grants the immediate and ongoing wishes of chronically and critically ill, hospitalized children.

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

03/24/2026

A big brother in the hospital used part of his Little Wish to help his little sister understand what he goes through every day. With her Child Life Specialist, Micaela, and medical play, she learned by doing, turning something confusing into something she could begin to understand. Little Wishes supports the entire family, every step of the way. 💚

03/19/2026

Fighting cancer for the 3rd time, Carlos still shows up with kindness and a sense of humor that lights up the entire unit.
When he learned the cancer came back, he told everyone he would just “beat it again.” And even on the hardest days, he faces everything in front of him with so much bravery.
After counting down the days and even the hours, his Little Wish finally arrived. With his new Play Station gear, Carlos now has a way to keep playing through the good days and the hard ones.
with team behind him, cheering him on.💚

03/17/2026

Super Dax turned six and fell asleep beneath his birthday sign after his big day. 💚
“Little Wishes made his special day that much more special during such a challenging time in his heart journey. He will be undergoing his 4th open heart surgery next week. He is our little Super Dax!”-Mom💚

03/13/2026

Seven-year-old Sebby has spent more than 200 days in the hospital. Born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, he is now awaiting a life-saving heart transplant. Through it all, he’s been surrounded by a team that refuses to let the hard days pass without a little joy. When Sebby’s Little Wish arrived, his team turned the moment into a full hype squad celebration. His wish included a mini couch for movie nights and gaming, along with Super Mario pajamas. Sebby also holds a special place in our hearts. His was the very first Little Wish granted . 💚

03/11/2026

These stuffed animals hold something you can’t see… but a family will never forget.
When families are facing the unimaginable, Little Wishes is there 24/7 helping create meaningful keepsakes that carry love forward. In memory of their sister, each sibling was able to choose a stuffed animal with her recorded heartbeat inside, something they can hold close forever. 💚

03/09/2026

What if turning 3 during leukemia treatment could still feel magical? That’s what we are here for. 👑 happy birthday Ada💚

03/06/2026

Dionna was just a baby when she was diagnosed with leukemia. What followed were many long hospital stays and many tears. Little Wishes had the honor of showing up through some of her hardest days and biggest milestones, from celebrating her first birthday in the hospital to sending her off like the princess she is as she finishes treatment. 👑💚🔔 Happy end of treatment Dionna!

03/04/2026

Mason is known around the hospital for something pretty incredible… riding his bike through the PICU while intubated and on ECMO. This bright 14-year-old has been through so much since being diagnosed last year with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Now preparing for a lifesaving bone marrow transplant, Mason’s wishes were simple: a neck pillow to make his hospital bed more comfortable and a projector so he could watch movies from bed during the long days ahead. To celebrate his big BMT birthday, Little Wishes helped bring together some of Mason’s favorite team members and family for a moment of fun before transplant. And as you can see, sometimes the best medicine is when a nurse walks in wearing a tutu… 💚

03/01/2026

Three years old, fighting leukemia, and holding onto play, because little things aren’t little here💚

02/25/2026

Chemo tried to stop the party… but Little Wishes was there to bring the magic back. Every little hero deserves a birthday to remember. Happy Birthday Bash! 💚

02/23/2026

Some wishes are about forever…
“I wanted to share a Little Wishes moment with you. I coordinated a bedside wedding ceremony for one of our young adult patients who is nearing end of life. One of his last wishes was to marry his girlfriend. Because of Little Wishes, we were able to have them pick out their outfits and rings, which made the day incredibly meaningful for them. Although he is currently having difficulty speaking and eating, Little Wishes also helped us honor another request of his—a specific horchata Frappuccino he had been craving. When he was able to take a few sips yesterday, he said, ‘This is all I’ve wanted.’ Thank you for making ‘silent’ wishes like this possible.” - AYA (Adolescent and Young Adult) Child Life Specialist
✨Silent Wishes are rarely shared publicly because of their sensitivity, but they are often the ones that matter most. They bring comfort, dignity, and love to children and young adults facing unimaginable circumstances. Little Wishes provides wishes from birth through age 21, made possible entirely by our community of supporters, so no family ever carries these moments alone.🙏

Address

San Anselmo, CA
94960

Telephone

+14154599474

Website

http://linktr.ee/littlewishesorg

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Our Story

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.