Planting a tree.
Fishing with family.
A desire to see the Northern Lights.
These are simple wishes, but for the terminally ill patients who come to Wish Granters, they’re also last wishes.
The Boise nonprofit has granted more than 500 wishes of terminally ill adults across Ada, Canyon, and Gem counties since its inception in 2010. Founder Doug Raper, who worked for a children’s wish-granting organization, saw a need to help terminally ill adults get their wishes granted as well. The organization is the only one of its kind in Idaho.
“It's such an amazing thing to be a part of,” Wish Granters Marketing & Events Coordinator Olivia Kviklys said. “People will say, ‘Oh my gosh, that's so hard. It's so sad. Wow, I can't believe you guys do that.’ Of course there is a sadness to it, but what we do is happy. We get to step in and give people joy and put smiles on their faces and give them these experiences.”
HOW IT WORKS
Wishes are granted by nomination.
“Usually, it's a caregiver or a loved one that nominates someone for a wish,” Kviklys said. “Hospice workers tend to be the ones that refer their patients to get a wish because they've gotten to know them and they're close to them. And hospice obviously steps in at a time when someone is terminal. We also have nurses at Saint Luke’s or Saint Alphonsus that recommend someone. We verify a couple of things, and then they fill out the application and our wish team takes it from there.”
Kviklys is technically the only employee of Wish Granters. The rest of the organization is run by a board of directors, advisors, and dedicated volunteers, including Raper, who is still heavily involved in granting wishes.
“We have people in the community that step up and help us out where it's needed,” Kviklys said. “A big, big part of what we do is partnering with local businesses and organizations that help us fulfill wishes. Say we have a wish that is to put new flooring down in someone’s house. Or new windows. We’ll have a business that just wants to step up and take that on and cares about serving others in the community. That's really helpful for us. And then we can also promote that business as well. So, it's a great partnership.”
THE WISHES
Wish Granters has nominees write down their top three wishes, providing options in case circumstances (such as travel restrictions) prevent fulfillment of a particular wish.
“We try to always grant their number one wish,” Kviklys said. “We have some super simple wishes that are just so humbling. We see a lot of wishes where they just want to beautify their home or redo their backyard. Like put new grass down and plant some flowers, or have a ramp put onto their home just to make it where they can safely get in and out. Just something simple like that, that a lot of us take for granted probably on a day-to-day basis.”
Travel is also a popular wish. While Wish Granters don’t do international trips due to liability, they’ve been able to provide excursions to Alaska, the Oregon Coast, Disneyland, New York City, and more. Sometimes the travel has been for family members to come visit the recipient at their home or care facility.
“It's all types of different wishes and it's really, really cool to see the different things that people ask for at that point in their life,” Kviklys said. “One of my favorite wishes, a man by the name of Art, he wished to bike The (Route of the) Hiawatha trail. That was something that he and his wife had always wanted to do together. But his wife had passed away and so he wasn't able to ever go do that with her. For his wish, they had him in a Blessing Bike so he could sit in this seat on the front that had his oxygen tank, with the bike attached to the back. And they biked him the whole Hiawatha Trail. And the entire time he held a picture of his wife in his lap. So they got to still do it together.”
The wishes often create lasting memories for the recipient’s family as well.
“Wish Granters sent us to Alaska to see the Aurora Borealis,” said Sean Lambert of his wife Michelle’s wish. “We were able to witness one of nature’s most beautiful visual spectacles. While the sky was dancing, so were our hearts. My wife, son, and I stood in awe, bursting with excitement and ear-to-ear smiles. My son and I saw a wife, a mom, who suffered mightily, restored, and free of suffering. Cancer took her life, but because of the amazing, caring, and dedicated people at Wish Granters, along with the kindness and generosity of the donors, we were able to experience this incredible moment in time. The photographs and memories will live forever.”
HONORING WISHES
Sometimes, a person dies before their wish can be fulfilled. But Kviklys said Wish Granters, with the family’s permission, will still attempt to honor the wish.
That was the case for Stephanie, who asked for a dream wedding for her and her husband, something they didn’t have when they originally got married. Her wish was to hold a vow renewal on their anniversary and have all their family come into town to celebrate with them. When Stephanie passed before the ceremony, Wish Granters threw her a celebration of life instead.
“We still wanted to honor her and to still give her family and her husband and the people that love and care about her that joy of celebrating her. I think that is really what separates us from a lot of organizations, and really is special, is that we try to still grant the wish if we can.”
HOW TO HELP
Monetary donations are a key way to help with Wish Granters’ mission. While partnering with businesses does cover a lot of expenses, it doesn’t cover everything, particularly for more expensive wishes like travel.
“We do an Adopt a Wish campaign,” Kviklys said. “It's where you sign up to give monthly, but what's great is, you obviously choose the amount that is comfortable for you, and then at the end of the year we send a postcard that shows you a wish that you helped with.”
If events are more your thing, Wish Granters holds a yearly fundraiser on Memorial Day. Wishes & Wine brings together local wineries, food trucks, bands, and for a day of fun.
And if you’d like to volunteer, Kviklys said you can find opportunities at wishgranters.org. These range from the actual wishes to supporting the organization itself through things like selling concessions at Boise State University events.
THE FUTURE
While Wish Granters currently serves three counties, Kviklys said they hope to expand.
“There is such a void of organizations that grant wishes for adults,” she said. “The goal would be to serve the whole state and to serve the whole country. But it just takes a lot of money and resources and all kinds of things. So, it's a goal and a work in progress.”
Until that day, Wish Granters will continue on with its mission to bring joy.