A Partnership That Makes the Impossible Possible
On April 29, Make-A-Wish Canada marks World Wish Day—a day rooted in a single wish that grew into a global movement of hope. “World Wish Day commemorates the first wish granted in 1980 and the life-changing impact wishes continue to have for children facing critical illnesses,” said Meaghan Stovel McKnight, Chief Executive Officer, Make-A-Wish Canada.
For more than 35 years, Blue Cross of Canada has stood alongside the foundation, not just as a supporter, but as an enabler of possibility. Since 1989, they have helped transform over 30,000 travel wishes into a reality by providing comprehensive medical insurance for more than 130,000 family members. For every child who boards a plane or steps into a theme park, Blue Cross provides an invisible layer of protection beneath them.
In honour of World Wish Day, Blue Cross is furthering this legacy with a $100,000 gift to the Make-A-Wish matching campaign. This donation ensures that safety—once the biggest barrier to a wish—is removed, allowing even more children to experience the life-changing magic of travel.
In 2025, over 70% of all wishes involved travel. For many medically vulnerable children, securing specialized insurance is one of the biggest hurdles to having their wish fulfilled. That’s why Blue Cross of Canada serves as the exclusive travel insurance partner, providing specialized coverage and medical evacuation, if necessary, for all wish children and their families. This transformational partnership ensures children with complex medical needs can receive the health benefits a wish brings, while giving families the peace of mind to focus entirely on joy, healing, and hope.
More Than a Trip
In Canada, a child is diagnosed with a critical illness every two hours. In that single moment, everything changes. Families are suddenly pulled into a world of endless tests, treatment plans, and overwhelming uncertainty.
What many don’t expect is this: alongside chemotherapy, medications, and hospital visits, a doctor may prescribe a wish. At Make-A-Wish Canada, wishes are not extras. They are part of a treatment journey.
For a child, a wish is a break from reality, and it becomes fuel for what comes after. Children return to treatment stronger. More hopeful. More willing to keep going.
Medical professionals refer children across 198 hospitals and clinics, because they have seen the impact firsthand. Research continues to show that wishes can reduce hospital visits, increase treatment compliance, and give children the strength to face what comes next.
And behind many of the flights, the destinations, the memories is a system built on trust between two organizations working as one.
This is why many now say: wishes are medicine.
A Shared Mission, Year After Year
The partnership extends far beyond travel. Through initiatives like Trees of Joy, communities come together to celebrate wish children during the holidays. Recently marking its 10th anniversary with 13 events nationwide, the program has raised over $2.5 million to date. By sponsoring wish children and decorating trees in their honour, Blue Cross continues to connect with the community, celebrating the courage of these children while creating lasting holiday memories.
Blue Cross is teaming up with Make-A-Wish Canada for a special month-long event. Between April 28 and May 28, 2026, clients who sign up for travel insurance will qualify for a chance to win a $10,000 travel prize. Beyond the giveaway, they are actively encouraging their clients to help make a difference by donating to Make-A-Wish.
To learn more about Make-A-Wish Canada, explore other organizations using innovative, non-traditional approaches to care, and discover charities supporting children and those affected by various diseases and conditions, visit CharityAxess.ca.
