Wish kid Owen's tropical wish is coming true

PHOENIX, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Eleven-year-old Owen, who lives with a rare neuromuscular disorder, recently learned his wish to go to Hawaii with his family is coming true. Owen's rare disease qualifies him for a wish from Make-A-Wish^®--the organization which grants wishes to children with critical illnesses.

Each year, 1 in 10 people are affected by rare disease – approximately half of those are children. Rare Disease Day, on February 28, brings awareness to diseases like Owen's and brings greater understanding of the impact of rare disease on those patients. Make-A-Wish has partnered with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to help make more wishes possible for children with rare diseases.

One of these wish kids is 11-year-old Owen. Since spending time with his family is one of his favorite things to do, Owen wished to take his family on a vacation to Hawaii. Last week, Owen learned his tropical wish will soon come true. His wish reveal featured leis and Hawaiian shirts for the whole family—including his service dog.

Make-A-Wish's vision is to create life-changing wishes for every eligible child. Each year nearly 27,000 children are diagnosed with a qualifying condition. Currently, Make-A-Wish reaches approximately half of those eligible. Genentech, a leader in the biotechnology industry, has partnered with Make-A-Wish with a focus on creating more life-changing wishes possible for children with rare diseases and to further outreach to advocacy groups who support those patients and their families.

"When diagnosed with a critical illness, a child's world is instantly and profoundly changed," said Holly Thomas, vice president of corporate alliances at Make-A-Wish. "Genentech's important support will bring transformational wishes to children and help restore the hope and strength they need to fight their illnesses."

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.

SOURCE Make-A-Wish

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