The Make-A-Wish Found-ation, which granted its first wish in 1980, has helped children with life-threatening medical conditions realize their dreams for more than 30 years.
Beth Torres, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish for Middle Tennessee, and Joyce McDaniel, a member of the  board of directors of Make a Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee, sat down with the Review last week to discuss local efforts to grant wishes to children with life-threatening conditions.
Torres told the Review that the two things the organization needs most in this area are volunteers and children who with wishes.
"Locally we're out talking to people in the area about what we do, and we're looking to connect with kids who might make a wish," Torres said. "We are looking for any kids between two-and-a-half and 18 who are facing a life-threatening illness. Our kids don't have to be terminal.
We have 38 counties in Middle Tennessee, and we grant about 100 wishes a year. We know that we are not reaching all the kids who need wishes. We are looking for volunteers, people who want to help a wish kid get their wish."
Torres said that with the proper referral, the necessary forms can be filled out on the foundations website, and a sick child's wish is on the way to being granted.
"You can be referred by a parent, doctor or social worker," she said. "All the information can be found on our website (www.middletennessee.wish.org), just fill out the form, the information will be entered in our system, and we will get in touch with you.”
Volunteers can get in touch with the foundation in much the same way.
"All you have to do is go to the website, and there is a section for volunteers. We will get you trained, and you can work with wish kids in the area."
McDaniel said that a common misconception is that children must be suffering from a terminal illness to qualify for the program.
"One misnomer is the belief that the children have to be terminal. They don't," she revealed. "All children with life-threatening conditions qualify. Eighty-five to 90 percent of the children we grant wishes to survive to adulthood. There are no income-level requirements, and we try to include the whole family in on the wish."
Torres said that the foundation regularly grants wishes including trips and special events, as well as building recreational facilities.
"It runs the gamut,” she said. “We have taken kids on shopping sprees. We send kids to Disney. Sometimes they want to travel, or meet famous people, or experience different events, so we make that happen. We have had children who want to build a park for their nieghborhood. Last year we had a kid from Columbia who wanted his football team to have new uniforms.”
The main focus, though, is locating deserving children, Torres said.
"We just need help finding these kids and making sure they get an opportunity to get a wish."