Giving Back Magazine April 2019 | Page 22

Children SPARK THE WISH EFFECT 22 GBSAN.COM | APRIL 2019 Alex’s backyard makeover T ogether, Make-A-Wish® San Diego and its community create life-affirming wishes for local children with critical illnesses. Wishes provide kids hope when they need it most, and research shows they have positive effects on children’s overall well-being and health outcomes. When a wish is granted, a child replaces fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope. In fact, a wish has been proven to provide physical and emotional benefits that can give children with critical illnesses a higher chance of survival. Wishes like Alex’s backyard makeover, that gives him the motivation to work harder in physical therapy so he can enjoy his backyard with his friends. Or the moment Alecssa had her