A Kid Again

A Kid Again - Central Carolinas

At A Kid Again, our mission is to foster Hope, Happiness and Healing for families raising a child with a life-threatening condition. 

We do this by providing the entire family (not only the medically complex/ill child) with year-round, fun-filled and cost-free Adventures. 

Why the entire family? Because when a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening condition, the entire family experiences trauma. Our Adventures allow the family to take a time out from all of the challenges, pain and stress that come with caring for a medically complex child. Instead, they can have a day to heal, enjoy one another, develop friendships and support systems with other families, and make wonderful memories. 

How long is a family a part of the A Kid Again program? Once a family is enrolled, the entire family is eligible to participate in Adventures throughout the calendar year. Typically, we host between 10-12 Adventures each year, with thousands of A Kid Again family members. The family can participate in every chapter Adventure until the medically fragile/complex child turns age 20. Families will likely participate in dozens of Adventures over the course of their time with A Kid Again. 

Why does it matter? Every year, more than 27,000 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with a life-threatening condition. Sadly, there are 5,000 children in the U.S. living out the last five months of their life. In addition to the emotional toll, families also are carrying the burden of rising health care costs ranging on average from $400,000–$600,000 per year. For many of these children and their families, support far beyond medical care is critical to their emotional needs and health outcomes. That’s where A Kid Again can help. A Kid Again provides much-needed relief for the entire family – at no cost. 

About our chapter: The Central Carolinas chapter was officially launched in March 2021. Since then, more than 1,200 families (5,300+ individuals) have enrolled in our chapter and are experiencing all of the Hope, Happiness and Healing that our mission provides.

Over the past year we have created Adventures for thousands of A Kid Again family members at exciting venues like Carowinds, Carolina Panthers, Lazy 5 Ranch, Clemson Tigers, NC Zoo, Marbles Children’s Museum and Charlotte Knights, just to name a few.  All of the Adventures that we host are 100% cost free for the entire family!

To learn more about A Kid Again and our impact across the Carolinas, visit us: www.akidagain.org.

Make-A-Wish Central & Western North Carolina

Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

A wish experience can be a game-changer for a child with a critical illness. 

This one belief guides us in everything we do at Make-A-Wish. It inspires us to grant life-changing wishes for children going through so much. It compels us to be creative in exceeding the expectations of every wish kid. It drives us to make our donated resources go as far as possible. Most of all, it's the founding principle of our vision to grant the wish of every eligible child.

Wishes are more than just a nice thing. And they are far more than gifts, or singular events in time. Wishes impact everyone involved—wish kids, volunteers, donors, sponsors, medical professionals and communities. For wish kids, just the act of making their wish come true can give them the courage to comply with their medical treatments. Parents might finally feel like they can be optimistic. And still others might realize all they have to offer the world through volunteer work or philanthropy. 

About our chapter: 

Make-A-Wish Central and Western North Carolina serves 51 counties in North Carolina from Burlington (Alamance County) to the west.

Make-A-Wish Central & Western North Carolina has granted more than 5,500 wishes since its inception in 1985. We seek to bring every eligible child's wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child's treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness.

Make-A-Wish Central & Western North Carolina grants wishes for children with critical illnesses at a time when they need it the most. The majority of Make-A-Wish alumni, parents, and medical providers overwhelmingly agree that the wish experience contributes substantially to physical, mental, and emotional health. 

To learn more about our chapter and our impact throughout central and western North Carolina, visit us: Our Chapter - Make-A-Wish® Central & Western North Carolina.