Susan joined Make-A-Wish Ireland in 2006 as Development & Fundraising Manager, after spending 12 years with the Irish Heart Foundation, a far cry from her qualification of a montessori teacher and her previous roles within the corporate world. She has been leading the organisation as CEO since 2008, and in that time, she has seen the incredible impact that wishes can have.
“I am often asked what makes a wish so powerful. The answer is simple. It is not
the celebrity, the gift or the destination, it is the experience of being seen, heard and uplifted. It is reminding a child that in the midst of medical appointments and
uncertainty, there is still magic in the world.”
“A moment that will always stay with me was visiting a family for their wish reveal a few years ago. After getting everything set up, the mum insisted we all stay for
breakfast, and as I was helping her wash up, she told me her story. Her husband had been diagnosed with multiple illnesses, her house was a hospital for her son, where she provided full-time medical care, and yet through all of this, she showed such incredible resilience. She believed that her son’s wish would bring her family together again, and as the day progressed, it was evident the incredible impact Make-A-Wish Ireland was having. The boy’s carer told us afterwards ‘You have no idea what you’ve done for this family’. Driving home from that wish, I realised we needed to reach more children. We needed to create more positive memories to families going through such trauma. Wishes could bring hope, could bring a smile, and could bring families together. This wish had such an impact on me and really reinforced our growth initiative. I’m proud to say that today we are granting in excess of 230 wishes a year. And we plan to do so much more.”
