ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

In 2021, the Robert Half International Zone Team took on the ambitious challenge of rolling out a one-of-a-kind innovative, and fun challenge. Designed to connect Robert Half employees from all corners of the world around one cause, one purpose, it was a success! In 30 days, 2,400 employees from 18 different countries united to raise $170,000 USD for Make-A-Wish International. This will enable us to grant many MORE wishes and transform the lives of children with critical illnesses all around the world. Through this great partnership between Make-A-Wish®️ and Robert Half, we will make a difference to the lives of children, families, and communities around the world, from New Zealand to Canada, China to Brazil, Switzerland to UAE... and more. Today, we would like to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you who has gone over and above.

The Wish Impact

When children are battling a critical illness, so much of normal childhood is taken away from them — it is exhausting, both emotionally and physically. A wish is something that gives children the opportunity to look outside their illness — it restores a sense of childhood back to the child and normalcy back to the family.

Research shows, and physicians agree, wishes can help improve a child’s quality of life and produce better health outcomes. Members of the Make-A-Wish Medical Advisory Committee share the life-changing impact wishes have — beyond just medicine — on their patients and their families.
A wish is not a fleeting gift – it’s a carefully planned journey, designed to complement a child’s medical treatment, and give them the hope, strength and joy they need to fight their illness.

The Wish Journey aids physical and emotional healing by building strong positive experiences through the application of principles of positive psychology. It builds resilience and helps children to better cope with their critical illness, and transforms the lives of anyone who plays a part.


Read the detail of the Wish Study 

Robert Half's Impact

We have granted 11,982 of these magical wishes in 2020 and 10,712 in 2021*.

However, to this date, more than 10,000 children are still waiting for their wishes to be granted.

*International wishes outside the US in our financial year 2021

Thanks to you, Make-A-Wish will be able to grant many of the awaiting wishes, transforming the lives of many more children by granting magical wishes like...

I wish to have a Goldendoodle puppy

Hari, 16, Canada

brain tumour

Hari is a sweet, caring, and soft spoken 16-year-old-boy. He is focused on helping the environment and doing kind things for others. He also loves badminton, going for walks and has been playing a lot of Rummy with his family during the pandemic. Hari is often described as an old soul; he wanted his wish to be something he can enjoy well into the future. He wished to have a Goldendoodle puppy. Hari and his family were so excited on his wish day as they waited for his new puppy, named Terry, to arrive. He quickly ran to meet him in the driveway; he’s been such a fun addition to their family and has been keeping them busy while they work on training and cuddling.
“We are very grateful to the Foundation for granting Hari’s wish,” said Hari’s sister. “Terry is a true blessing to our family.

I wish to go paragliding

Esteban, 15, France

 

Esteban a 15 years old, fulfilled his dream with Make-A-Wish France and lived a highly thrilling and emotional moment.

Esteban is a thrill-seeker who worships altitude and who has always been fascinated by extreme sports. After meeting Make-A-Wish his biggest dream came true, he went paragliding!

Esteban said ‘it was an exceptional and unforgettable experience’.

During their stay in the mountains, Esteban and his family also had the chance to go dog sledding in the Alps and they savoured a good meal in a traditional restaurant.

Esteban bought a souvenir from his trip: a bedside lamp so that he can remember his wish every night before sleeping.

I wish to live with fairies in a treehouse

Elsie, 3, United Kingdom

leukemia

3-year-old Elsie’s wish was to live with fairies in a treehouse. She was diagnosed with leukemia at 18 months and had treatment over the next two years, but thanks to the generous people who sponsored her wish, she's now regained some of her lost childhood!

For Elsie, the best part of her wish was seeing the fairies. For her mum and dad, it was seeing her so happy. The icing on the cake was having her cousins there too because they’re a similar age so when they arrived, she “went into full hostess mode” showing them around and they spent the whole time running around the treehouse.

Becs said: “As a parent, it was so good to see her absolute wonder at everything and to witness her being convinced that she was living with fairies. When she was swimming, it was lovely watching as she was splashing around, building up her confidence in the water and becoming like a carefree child again.”

I wish to have a guitar and learn how to play it

Baran, 3, Belgium

leukemia

Baran is a fan of the cartoon Miraculous and more specifically of Lucas. Like his hero Lucas, Baran dreams of learning to play the electric guitar. Thanks to support like yours, the first step of his wish has been realized.

Baran chose his guitar, tested the sound and received the amp, headphones, case and holder for the guitar. Baran was delighted although a little tired.

He left happy with his wish and the promise that a music teacher will come to give him lessons to play his guitar in the best way.

I wish to be a superhero like Thor!

Sandro, 8, Germany

louis bar syndrome & hodgkin lymphoma

Sandro, 8 years old, had the wish to be a real superhero - like Thor! - for one day: Together with a whole theatre ensemble our wish team created a great story that should take place in a real castle - just for our superhero Sandro.

Sandro's adventure began by receiving his superhero outfit one day prior to his wish day. A limousine picked him up, driving him to a nearby helicopter airport. He was informed by a video message that a robber of millions is hiding at Frankenstein Castle - and only Sandro can help to catch him with his superhero skills.

He then went directly to the castle in a helicopter.

There were nine tricky tasks waiting on the castle grounds that only Sandro was able to solve by using his superhero skills. Finally our brave boy was able to free a kidnapped woman and overpower the villain with his almighty hammer. The German police had dispatched two real officers in full uniform coming with sirens and blue lights on just in time to arrest the villain and take him away to jail.

SANDRO our SUPERHERO was of course allowed to get into the police car and turn on the blue light.

In the helicopter, Sandro sang: "I'm taking off now, nothing will keep me on the ground", and when asked: "How did you catch the villain?" he replied, "because I'm the fastest of them all!“

I wish to have a playhouse

Leigh Ann, 3, United States

congenital heart disease

Leigh Ann’s wish to have a playhouse provided her with the opportunity to have

a fun getaway from the hardship of fighting a congenital heart disease, just steps away from her backdoor. Thanks to Make-A-Wish®, Leigh Ann’s wish came true on her third birthday!

Instead of feeling stuck at home, Leigh Ann’s playhouse has truly brightened her spirits. Every day, Leigh Ann eagerly looks forward to taking her dolls out to her playhouse. She loves peeking her head outside the window to breathe in the fresh air. Leigh Ann also adorns her dining room table with flowers, blooming hope throughout the playhouse — and in her heart.

Leigh Ann’s playhouse has given a precious piece of her childhood back to her. It is a gift that will continue to shine a light of hope and joy for years to come.

“We are forever grateful. This unique playhouse is something our family will always cherish.”

– Mandi, Leigh Ann’s mom

I wish to be a zookeeper

Elise, 5, Singapore

retinoblastoma

Elise is a brave young girl living with retinoblastoma, which occurs when nerve cells in the retina develop genetic mutations.

It was very evident to the Make-A-Wish Singapore team that Elise has a big love for animals, so it was no surprise that her wish was ‘to be a zookeeper’!

Before her wish day, Elise went to her local animal shelter where she had the chance to bring some dogs for a walk! She was especially interested in the way the animals were cared for in the shelter, and she had such a good time that she didn’t want the visit to end.

Elise’s wish day started off with a picnic with her family at ‘Elephants of Asia’ in Singapore Zoo. After filling her tummy with pizza, cupcakes and milo, it was time for her to visit the animals!

Her wish day ended with a lovely cosy dinner at the Ocean Restaurant, where they had some marine animals. They surprised her with a two-tiered cake, decorated with all her favourite animals! When Elise speaks about her wish day, she gleams with happiness!

I wish to watch rocket launch

Selina, 6, Hong Kong

acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Selina was diagnosed at 3 and a half years old, and during one of Selina’s treatments in the hospital, her father saw she was bored so he showed her a video of the SpaceX rocket launch. Since then, the idea to explore outer space started to sprout in the heart of this little girl. One day, Selina said: “It would be so great if I could go to the United States to see the rocket take off!” Selina’s Wish seemed out of reach- until she met the Wish Team!

With the support from NASA, Selina got a rare opportunity to witness the rocket launch in person! The Wish gave her hope and motivation to complete all the treatments diligently.

At the end of 2019, Selina and her family finally flew to Florida. On the day of the launch, Selina was greeted personally by the NASA team, and led to the VIP area of the rocket launch pad. The countdown started, “5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – Set off!”...
A huge fireball accompanied by white smoke erupted from the rocket’s engine. Selina jumped around and said, “I’m so happy! My Wish has come true!

Selina’s family said, “Thanks very much to the Make-A-Wish Foundation who made Selina’s wish come true. We are so thankful that this experience inspired her to continue to chase her dream and overcome adversity with courage and perseverance!”

I wish to have a treehouse

Alex, 5, United Arab Emirates

leukemia

Alexandra is 5 -year-old girl who has been diagnosed with Leukemia. Due to strict Covid-19 restrictions and safety reasons, we were not able to physically meet Alex.

However, a remote interview has been organized through “Zoom Meetings” where we were able to hear her precious voice, as we discussed her preferences and reasons for her desired wish. Alex’s wish was to have a Tree house / Garden Play Unit.

We contacted ‘Step Two’ to help us with garden play unit and contacted ‘Boom Tree’ to help us with the tree house. We set up a date for both of them to come and instale the Tree house and Garden Play Unit. Once they finish installing, we asked Alex to come to her backyard.

Alex did not believe what she saw, her dream tree house was in her backyard and also her Garden Play Unit. Alex start playing on her Garden Play Unit and also in her tree house, Alex said ‘I can’t wait to invite all my friends to see my tree house and play with me. We hope Alex’s wish brings her all the happiness and joyfulness she deserves.

I wish to be on the beach and give a speech under the stars

Yueyue, 13, Henan China

germ cell tumor

Yueyue, a beautiful young girl with ambition to be a teacher when she was a little girl, and then, she faced great challenges to overcome her serious illness, Germ Cell Tumour.

We discovered Yueyue’s wish early on in her treatment journey. She had just finished her chemotherapy and was regularly attending hospital for radiotherapy. Yueyue bravely told us how she was determined to give a speech sharing her experience of the illness and her recovery journey.

Yueyue had never been to the beach, and could only imagine it to be spectacular and even more beautiful under the stars and this is where she wished to deliver her speech.

The pandemic and Yueyue's return to school following chemotherapy meant a delay in granting her wish. However, the volunteers stayed in regular contact with her, encouraging her to do well in school and look forward to the day her wish could come true.

July 10th 2021, her wish finally came true! We arrived in the beautiful seaside city, Qingdao

We set up the platform for Yueyue speech against the beautiful backdrop of the night view of Qingdao. The weather was cloudy and unfortunately this meant there was not a star in the sky! Undeterred, we decorated a beautiful heart shape with star lights, so Yueyue was still able to make her speech surrounded by stars. The spectacular colorful light show on the seaside building was such an emotional experience for Yueyue it brought her to tears, but happy tears, before starting to deliver her emotional speech.

She explained how she felt at the start of her illness and how the symptoms had affected her. She shared many of her experiences throughout the 7 months treatment in hospital, the sudden loss of her hair, the friends she made in similar situations to herself. She spoke of losing a friend who passed away from a different illness to herself and gave accounts of different experiences she witnessed in hospital. Although she had been frightened of passing away like her friend, she still supported others.

Yueyue faced mental and physical struggles but gradually began to feel stronger and is now able to appreciate and be thankful that she is growing up and realizes she has learnt a lot along her journey.

Yueyue expressed her deepest gratitude to her parents and all her family who have supported and cared for her. She thanked all the hospital staff who cared for and treated her throughout her illness.

Yueyue’s father followed on by giving a short speech thanking everyone who had helped them, acknowledging that health and happiness of family is paramount but recognizes the medical costs he still must deal with. He mentioned that as they come from a rural village in Henan province, the Make-A-Wish Shanghai had given an opportunity to Yueyue, that she could not otherwise have ever been able to dream of.

Many of those in the audience on the beach were shedding tears by hearing from Yueyue and all that such a young child had endured.

I wish to have a pink and white bedroom

Heloisa, 5, Brazil

acute lymphoid leukemia

Selina was diagnosed at 3 and a half years old, and during one of Selina’s treatments in the hospital, her father saw she was bored so he showed her a video of the SpaceX rocket launch. Since then, the idea to explore outer space started to sprout in the heart of this little girl. One day, Selina said: “It would be so great if I could go to the United States to see the rocket take off!” Selina’s Wish seemed out of reach- until she met the Wish Team!

With the support from NASA, Selina got a rare opportunity to witness the rocket launch in person! The Wish gave her hope and motivation to complete all the treatments diligently.

At the end of 2019, Selina and her family finally flew to Florida. On the day of the launch, Selina was greeted personally by the NASA team, and led to the VIP area of the rocket launch pad. The countdown started, “5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – Set off!”...
A huge fireball accompanied by white smoke erupted from the rocket’s engine. Selina jumped around and said, “I’m so happy! My Wish has come true!

Selina’s family said, “Thanks very much to the Make-A-Wish Foundation who made Selina’s wish come true. We are so thankful that this experience inspired her to continue to chase her dream and overcome adversity with courage and perseverance!”

...and so many more!

Alexandra is 5 -year-old girl who has been diagnosed with Leukemia. Due to strict Covid-19 restrictions and safety reasons, we were not able to physically meet Alex.

However, a remote interview has been organized through “Zoom Meetings” where we were able to hear her precious voice, as we discussed her preferences and reasons for her desired wish. Alex’s wish was to have a Tree house / Garden Play Unit.

We contacted ‘Step Two’ to help us with garden play unit and contacted ‘Boom Tree’ to help us with the tree house. We set up a date for both of them to come and instale the Tree house and Garden Play Unit. Once they finish installing, we asked Alex to come to her backyard.

Alex did not believe what she saw, her dream tree house was in her backyard and also her Garden Play Unit. Alex start playing on her Garden Play Unit and also in her tree house, Alex said ‘I can’t wait to invite all my friends to see my tree house and play with me. We hope Alex’s wish brings her all the happiness and joyfulness she deserves.

2022 & Beyond: Magic in the Making

Many more eligible children around the world are still waiting for their one true wish to be granted and our vision is to fulfill every single one of them.

As we continue to march towards achieving our vision, one wish at a time, we have already set the ambitious target of granting an additional 53,000 wishes by 2025, but we can't do it alone.

We wish to continue building our journey together with Robert Half and strengthen our partnership for 2022 and beyond. We very much hope to get together with you all again for the Round the World event, to spark joy and light up hope in the lives of many more children with critical illnesses around the world.

"We were amazed at the wonderful efforts the teams at Robert Half have made to raise such significant funds for Make-A-Wish. It is an inspiration to see so many employees, across 18 countries, coming together around one purpose, having fun whilst raising funds and awareness. Thank you all for your commitment, we look forward to granting more wishes together for children with critical illnesses and seeing our partnership grow further."

Fiona Kearney
Vice President Fundraising
Make-A-Wish International

THANK YOU ROBERT HALF

""Making a dream become reality in the face of fear and uncertainty is such a wonderful and hopeful mission. Proud to support Make-A-Wish!"

— Kevin

"Robert half is amazing with
all these great things happening !!"

— Yeo

"To the child who receives this donation, I wish you only good health and happiness! Please believe in yourself, never give up and follow your dreams!"

— Jaclyn

"What a great idea! Just happy to participate in that charity project!"

— Andrea,

"I am happy to be a part of something big. I hope my donation will help people to make their wish come true."

— Helen

"Good luck to all Robert Half employees taking part and raising money for such a great cause."

— Kris

"Good luck to everyone with all of your challenges, it’s such a brilliant cause and initiative.
So proud of my RH colleagues"

— Gemma

"Well done team!
Fantastic effort for an incredible charity."

— Neil

"Thank you for supporting such an amazing charity and the families who benefit from it."

— Marlyn

“It feels great to be part of this wonderful cause”

— Hiren,

"mein Mann und ich haben geweint vor Emotion als wir die Videos angesehen haben - eine Herzensaktion! Danke für die Organisation!"

— Claudia

"Hope we can make lots of wishes come true"

— Mattea

"A cause close to my heart. My nephew, who was diagnosed with Leukemia in his early teens, had his wish of his very own Man Cave granted and it was a truly special and heart warming experience. Let’s make more wishes come true! ❤️"

— Lisa, donor to Robert Half Round the World Event

*Shoshani, A. Mifano, K. Czamanski-Cohen, J. (2015). The effects of the Make a Wish intervention on psychiatric symptoms and health-related quality of life of children with cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Quality of Life Research, 25(5), 1209-1218. doi 10.1007/s11136-015-1148-7

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