How One Wish From Make-A-Wish Impacted An Entire Community

Make-A-Wish started with a single wish on April 29, 1980. One boy’s wish ignited a global movement that creates hope, inspires kindness, and gives kids the strength to fight their illness. There’s no telling how much good can come from one, single wish.

This adorable child is Chloe.

Shortly after she turned 7, Chloe was diagnosed with leukemia.

“It was hard to hear 'cancer.' There are so many doctor visits and hospital visits in the first active stage of treatment that it's hard for kids to have that bright side when they don’t know what's coming.”

—Simone, Chloe's Mom

Growing up, Chloe was always singing and dancing. When she was 8, Chloe made a wish to star in her own music video.

And Make-A-Wish granted it!

Chloe was ready. She had it all planned out.

Seriously, she had a vision for the whole thing: wardrobe, makeup, locations, everything.

It was a magical day for Chloe. But also for her mother, who realized she and Chloe had found the community support they had been looking for.

"I think that as parents of any child who is diagnosed with a condition of any kind, your first thought is, Who do I reach out to? Where do I get my support? You don't know that there are so many wonderful people who are already actively donating their time, their money, and their energy to create resources for these kids. I recognize how blessed we are, how fortunate we are to find this family in Make-A-Wish. I am so grateful. Seeing my daughter happy, the happiest she's been in almost three years, is amazing to me."

—Simone, Chloe's mom

But the effect didn't stop there. That one wish created a ripple effect. It was a unique, uplifting experience for the director:

"When we get on set with Chloe, she's so excited. You just feed off of her energy and her happiness. There’s no way to describe what that feels like. It’s just there and you could go for days. It's not work at all. It’s just a lot of fun. I think I’m enjoying this as much as she is."

—Noel Thompson, Music Video Director

It inspired the crew:

"Working on a project like Chloe's, it puts a lot of your personal life in perspective of how lucky we are. To know that this young girl is dealing with the illness that she has and every day came on set and had the most positive energy out of all of us, it made all of our jobs easier and so much more worth it. To do something like this felt like so much more than anything else I've been a part of. This is what it's all about. It was an amazing experience."

—Zak Howell, Director of Photography

And it gave Chloe's family and friends the chance to help restore a piece of her childhood:

“Chloe has been in the lives of me and my daughter since she was born. So finding out her diagnosis was devastating. But watching her get to shoot her dream video during a time when so much was causing her to not smile was a blessing. In that moment, she got to just be her normal self with her best friends. Being a part of her wish was an opportunity to see her shine again. She’s an amazing young lady and Make-A-Wish helped give our already shining star her shining moment!”

—Candice Summerville, family friend

And it was a reminder of the power of a wish for the team at Make-A-Wish:

"I was fortunate to be part of Chloe’s wish, filming a behind-the-scenes video of each of the video locations. I got a front row seat witnessing the impact of the wish. Everyone I talked with was moved by the experience and was so happy they helped make this a special experience for Chloe. For me, it was such a moving experience seeing Chloe’s eyes light up as she watched the finished video.”

—T.J. Hamilton, Director of Creative Services, Make-A-Wish Michigan

Chloe's wish united an entire community and transformed everyone involved.

"The thing that most surprised me about this is not only how passionate Chloe is about this and how much fun she’s having, but also everybody else around. All of the people participating, from the people donating locations to people who are donating food and balloons and unicorn cakes. All that stuff is coming from a lot of good people and it’s pretty cool to watch this whole thing come together."

—Noel Thompson, Music Video Director

But it didn't end there. Hundreds of supporters celebrated Chloe’s wish during her music video premiere.

Each wish makes a unique and lasting impact on every child, volunteer, supporter, and community that experiences it. On World Wish Day, we invite you to join us. Because in the next 20 minutes, a child will be diagnosed with a critical illness. And 20 minutes later, another. As long as children face this devastating reality, they’ll need people like you to help them get through it. Find out all of the different ways you can raise your hand and make a difference for wish kids today.

Watch "Chloe's Perfect Day" here:

Make-A-Wish / Via ityoutube.com

Chloe’s music video was set to the Kidz Bop original song "Make Some Noise."

And the behind-the-scenes video here:

Make-A-Wish / Via youtube.com

Unless otherwise indicated, all images courtesy of Make-A-Wish.