Today's speaker was Paul Krueger, President/CEO of Make-A-Wish Minnesota. He was accompanied by Sarah Kasner, a Minneapolis parent of two children who have been granted wishes. The mission of Make-A-Wish is to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illness. Research shows that wishes can give kids the strength to fight against, and even overcome, a critical illness. Their detailed eligibility criteria specify that a child must be diagnosed with a critical illness, not necessarily a terminal condition. While Make-A-Wish is a national organization, our Minnesota chapter is one of the top Minnesota children's charities, with a staff of 20 and a core of about 450 dedicated volunteers. Currently about 250 wishes are granted annually in MN. But 300 children are waiting. The cost of a wish is about $12,000 on average. It was very meaningful to hear from Sarah Kasner. She and her husband have 4 children, the youngest two of which were born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and became wheel-chair bound by the age of 9. The older of the two wished for a gaming room within their home and the younger wished for a trip to Disney. Both were extremely well done and very meaningful for this family. Doctors are involved in determining a child's eligibility and also helping judge the specific fitness of a child's wish, given their medical situation. Doctors agree that a gift often helps provide trauma relief, strength to fight and help with emotional well-being. "Hope Changes Everything!"