Give the gift of hope this holiday season

(BPT) - For most, childhood is a time of innocence. It is a time when wonder and excitement exist around every corner. Children view the world as an open book of infinite possibilities where they can be or do anything they want, limited only by their imagination.

For children battling a life-threatening illness, childhood takes on a very different feel. Hospital stays, doctor visits and intrusive procedures replace playgrounds, activities and field trips. The usually carefree approach to each day gets tainted by concerns about health and the future.

Enter Make-A-Wish.  

Make-A-Wish grants wishes to kids with life-threatening medical conditions. Wishes are more than just a nice thing. Wishes reinvigorate children, reconnect them to their inner strength and provide them with a powerful injection of hope and joy. The impact of a wish experience is nothing short of transformative. In fact, medical professionals overwhelmingly believe a wish come true can influence children’s physical health.

Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 240,000 life-changing wishes.  This holiday season, you can take part in the spirit of giving by helping Make-A-Wish grant more wishes.

The Macy’s Believe campaign benefits Make-A-Wish, and all it requires is a little creativity and a wish list. It is as easy as writing letters to Santa and delivering them to the bright, red letterboxes located in Macy’s stores nationwide. For each stamped letter received from now through Dec. 24, Macy’s will donate $1 up to $1 million to Make-A-Wish. There is still time to participate, but time is running out. Make-A-Wish needs your help to reach the one million letter goal.

You can also include Make-A-Wish in your year-end giving plans. As the calendar year comes to a close, you can make a tax-deductible donation to Make-A-Wish. There is no better way to end 2013 than by making it possible for more wish kids to have their wishes granted. Wishes like:

*Aaron, 8, has spent much of his life battling leukemia, but he does not let it get in the way of his favorite pastime – decorating his home for the holidays. For his wish, Aaron wanted to showcase his decorating skills on one of the world’s biggest stages. He was given the opportunity to decorate the windows at the flagship Macy’s store at Harold Square in New York City, a popular destination for window shoppers from across the world.

*Jericho, 7 has been living with leukemia since he was 3. Jericho knows well that with multiple rounds of chemotherapy and a daily regimen of pills, receiving treatments is not fun. With his wish, Jericho came up with the idea to have an automated robot train called JR Railroad that delivers medication to children in the hospital, making treatments more fun and less scary.

To read more wish stories, to donate, or to learn more about Make-A-Wish, visit www.wish.org.