Meet a Make-A-Wish Champion of Hope
Brock Doubledee, MD, Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Sanford Children's
How do you decide which patients to refer to Make-A-Wish?
For the most part, I refer every patient who is eligible. I feel like, if you're eligible, you deserve to receive a wish. I have referred to Make-A-Wish many times over more than 10 years and have always had an excellent experience.
What kind of reaction have you seen among your patients who have received wishes?
Families know who referred them and they are always anxious to come back and tell me about what a wonderful experience they've had. They're animated and 99 percent of the time, they have pictures, too!
What do you think is the biggest benefit for your patients of receiving a wish?
It gives them a break. They have an opportunity to forget about whatever bad or life-threatening thing they are going through and just enjoy being a kid.
What is the referral process like?
For providers, it's very easy to refer. Epic's EMR actually has a pop-up that tells you if a patient may be eligible to receive a wish. The pop-up takes you directly to the Make-A-Wish website. The process itself takes under five minutes.
Who is eligible for a referral to Make-A-Wish?
Children must meet these criteria at the time of referral:
Be between 2.5 and 18 years old
Have not received a wish from another wish-granting organization
diagnosed with a progressive, degenerative, or malignant condition that is life-threatening