Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware, and Susquehanna Valley
Title: Building Bridges and Wishes for Families at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children
Student Interns:
Thinna Svetanant
Drexel University College of Medicine
Stephanie Widjaja
Drexel University College of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Jeremiah Goldstein, MD
St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children
Community Preceptor:
Geremi James, LSW, MSW
Make-A-Wish, Philadelphia, Delaware, and Susquehanna Valley
Community Site:
Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware, and Susquehanna Valley is dedicated to creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware, and Susquehanna Valley is seeking ways to deepen relationships with and expand the pool of wish recipients to include more children from low-resourced communities.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student interns worked to increase outreach to children living in North and West Philadelphia, focusing on increasing awareness and access to Make-A-Wish services for patients at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. The interns also engaged directly with patient families to support the Wish Discovery process and submit referrals, helping to ensure that every eligible child has the opportunity to experience the magic of a wish. Referrals increased sevenfold in the month of June through direct engagement with families and hospital staff. The interns met with five children to help identify their wishes, assisted in planning a birthday party wish, coordinated with other BTG sites for outreach to refer 15 eligible children, and presented Make-A-Wish information to physicians at grand rounds. Additionally, they conducted interviews with Wish families to better understand their experiences navigating serious diagnoses and the impact of receiving a wish.
Reflections
“Our BTG CHIP experience with Make-A-Wish at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children provided valuable insight into the organization’s mission and the powerful impact a wish can have on a child and their family. Throughout the summer, we deepened our understanding of the wish process and the barriers that can prevent eligible children — especially those from under-resourced communities — from being referred. One of the most rewarding parts of our experience was spending time with patient families at the hospital. We were grateful for the opportunity to learn more about their unique backgrounds and cultures, and to hear firsthand about the challenges they face related to the social determinants of health (SDOH) and their experience with getting their child treated. These stories deepened our empathy and strengthened our commitment to working with families in a more informed and respectful way. We also became more aware of the difficulties involved in engaging hospital staff around Make-A-Wish referrals. While outreach was challenging, we’re proud to have taken small but meaningful steps toward breaking down misconceptions about the organization. By building relationships and clarifying referral processes, we hope our work helped pave the way for future collaborations that bring more wishes to eligible children.”
Thinna Svetanant & Stephanie Widjaja