Make-A-Wish® Receives Donation from Bristol-Myers Squibb to Grant Life-Changing Wishes for Third Consecutive Year

PHOENIX, May 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Since 2017, Make-A-Wish^® America has received more than $3 million in charitable donations from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, including a $500,000 contribution this year, with the purpose of granting more life-changing wishes for children with cancer.

The generous donations from Bristol-Myers Squibb over the past few years have enabled wish kids to experience the hope and healing that comes with a wish come true, like three-year-old Maya, whose wish to go to a warm beach with her family was recently granted. For Maya, even after many routine treatments, battling her illness could sometimes be harder than expected. While on her wish, Maya’s entire family escaped the hardships of having a child with a critical illness and had the chance to focus on one of the most important things to Maya; spending quality time as a family.

“We often hear from wish kids who are now adults that the wish helped them to build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their critical illness,” said Richard Davis, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “The contribution from Bristol-Myers Squibb will have an enduring impact on wish kids by helping them replace fear with confidence, anxiety with hope and sadness with joy.”

“Make-A-Wish understands the power of hope and a wish come true for a child with cancer as well as the child’s family,” said Adam Lenkowsky, head, US Oncology, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “We continue to be inspired by the passion of Make-A-Wish, and are proud to support their work to help children affected by critical illnesses and their families.”

As a nonprofit receiving no government funding, Make-A-Wish relies on supporters like Bristol-Myers Squibb, combined with the efforts of other corporate and individual donors, to make these impactful wishes possible. To learn more and find out how you can get involved, visit wish.org.

About Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish^® creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child’s wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child’s treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in every community in the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and nearly 40,000 volunteers across the U.S., grant a wish every 34 minutes, on average, somewhere in the country. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 315,000 wishes to children in the U.S. and its territories; more than 15,600 in 2018 alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

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SOURCE Make-A-Wish