Wish kid Natalie Anton in Hawaii with her family. From left are Jessica Corson, Matthew Corson, Natalie Anton, Jacob Anton and Emma Anton, all of Athens.

Make-A-Wish Maine ended its fiscal year 2024 on Aug. 31 with 89 wishes granted — the most wishes granted in a single year by the chapter since its founding in 1992. This averages one wish every four days in Maine.

The 89th wish of the year hit another milestone for Make-A-Wish Maine. Wish kid Natalie Anton, who is 12 years old and lives in Athens, is the 1,900th wish granted by Make-A-Wish Maine. Her wish to see a black sand beach was granted in Hawaii recently.

“My favorite part [of Natalie’s wish] was the constant smile on her face,” says wish mom Katie Corson, according to a news release from Make-A-Wish Maine. “Natalie thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling. She was so excited to see animals in the ocean she had never seen before.”

From trips to Walt Disney World to meet their favorite characters to one-of-a-kind experiences in Hawaii, wish kids in Maine have imaginations that take them all over. Other wishes granted this year include a wish for a shopping spree, a wish to meet a YouTube star, a fly-fishing trip to Montana, a wish to meet a sloth, and a wish to attend the NBA All-Star Game. Each wish is personalized, taking the wish child’s interests into account and being sure to include the entire family, including siblings.

Make-A-Wish Maine grants wishes to children aged 2.5 to 18 at referral who have been diagnosed with a critical illness. In a national 2022 Impact Study, a large majority of Make-A-Wish alumni, parents, and medical providers overwhelmingly agree that the wish experience contributes substantially to physical, mental and emotional health. They found the wish experience was a necessary part of the medical treatment journey, improved the odds of survival, provided a support system and better health outcomes, and gave the child a better chance of recovering from their critical illness.

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