Alli's gift in her Will to help create life-changing wishes

Alli's been a Wish Visitor since 2012. Not only does she give her time to visit families at the beginning of their wish journey, she recently chose to remember Make-A-Wish UK in her Will. Alli talked to us about why Make-A-Wish is a cause so close to her heart.

“One of my foster children was in remission from leukaemia, so I approached Make-A-Wish. Two volunteers visited us to discuss his wish and seeing the impression it left on him was wonderful. He was so much happier and inspired. It made him feel that people cared about him, which for a child in the care system is so important. After that I said I've got to work with this organisation, so I joined as a volunteer Wish Visitor.

“To me, Make-A-Wish means putting a smile on a child’s face. Wish children have often endured people poking and prodding them through years of treatment and being separated from their family. Seeing a child’s eyes when you say, ‘what do you wish for?’ and the smile that comes across their face when you find out their likes and dislikes...it just lights up the room.

There have been so many special moments over the years - one lad I visited was waiting for a transplant. His mum told him that me and the other Wish Visitor were fairies. He looked behind us and asked, ‘where are your wings?’ We said we had to hide them when we go out places. His wish was to go to Disneyland. He sadly passed away sometime after, and his mum told me it brought her so much joy to know he was happy during the time that Make-A-Wish was in his life.

"When we bought our house, we decided to write a Will. I spoke to the solicitor about what I wanted to leave behind, and to who. I thought of all the wish children I’ve visited over the years, all those who are still with us, and those who aren’t, and how much Make-A-Wish means to me. I chose to leave 5% of our house to Make-A-Wish. It wasn’t morbid at all, to me it feels like an incredible gift to make children smile after I’m gone. It’s something to leave behind, and it was an easy process – we just added it into my Will.

Wishes give children - and their families - memories. We know some of these children might not make it. It gives them time to spend with their family away from treatment, medicine and hospitals, just time to be a child - a son or a daughter, a sister or a brother. A wish can be a moment of light during very dark, troubled times that no child should have to face. Reflecting back on that moment of light can be so powerful for poorly children.

To find out more about how to leave a gift in your Will, as well as the discounted Will writing service, click here.