This upcoming November marks eight years since BuzzRx launched our national partnership with Make-A-Wish®. Since then, we have donated over $6 million, resulting in 600 life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses and their families. This major milestone comes at a time when the pandemic is cooling down, and many wish kids who have been waiting for years are finally having their wishes granted.

I thought I understood the power of a wish from reading hundreds of wish stories, watching videos, and witnessing wishes first-hand through company milestone events.  For example, at Christian’s superhero wish, our 250th granted in Chicago, Christian transformed from a shy 10-year-old boy into a confident, crime-fighting superhero. At our 500th wish in Scottsdale, Arizona, Audrey became the fashion model of her dreams, every pose filled with energy and excitement. 

It wasn’t until the COVID-19 lockdown, quarantining, social distancing, and isolation that I better understood the challenges many wish kids face and just how impactful a wish can be. When a child is diagnosed with a critical illness, their life is often completely uprooted. Treatments, doctor visits, and other appointments do not work around the child. Instead, the child and family must rework their lifestyle around fighting the illness. This can be both physically and mentally draining for wish kids and their families, but the hope, strength, and joy a wish instills can be a medical motivator. Having something exciting to look forward to helps kids build renewed strength to fight their illnesses, leading to improved medical outcomes.

Most recently, we helped grant our 600th wish for a 4-year-old girl named Lydia from Queens, NY, fighting retinal neoplasms. Lydia recently had her wish for wonder and adventure granted when she was able to visit "the giraffes' house" at Animal Adventure Park in upstate New York. Lydia toured the park and got personalized, behind-the-scenes tours to make her visit with her favorite animals even more special. After that, she spent some time at Jellystone Park with her mom and dad and got to run wild in the fresh air. Lydia’s special day will be an unforgettable, life-long memory, like all the wishes that Make-A-Wish goes above and beyond to make special. 

I’m incredibly proud of our employees and Reps for their passion and support of Make-A-Wish. Through their dedication, we have donated at least $500,000 each year for the past 8 years since our partnership began. We set up our program to have maximum impact at the community level—the donations go to the local chapter nearest where the card was used, so cardholders and BuzzRx Reps know that they are making a difference in their backyards. Make-A-Wish and our other charity programs have become a guiding force within BuzzRx. The more we help people save on prescriptions, the more we can help wish kids and their families. However, there is a bittersweet reality. While we’ve helped improve the lives of so many, I know our work is nowhere near finished.

Thank you to our supporters for helping us reach this incredible milestone of 600 wishes for children with critical illnesses. The Wish Journey is a life-changing experience that is only possible thanks to a village of supporters. Thank you to our colleagues and cardholders for being a cherished part of our village. We look forward to continuing our mission together!