The Marty Lyons Foundation is the only wish granting organization to provide a 1st wish and a 2nd wish to children who fell out of remission, were now facing more battles with their illnesses and facing the reality of death. The 2nd Wish Program is to grant wishes to children who have received a first wish 24 months prior and have exhausted all medical options and are essentially at end-of-life stage or receiving palliative/hospice care. Whether a wish applicant is applying for a first wish or a second wish, the emotional and financial tolls are tremendous. Children who suffer each and every day through their illnesses are most in need and deserving of some special wish that will make them smile and give them some encouragement. It may be a trip to Disney, enjoy the luxury of a cruise, the thrill of swimming with dolphins or enjoying the clear blue sea off Key West and enjoying the pleasure of fishing. For the children who love sports especially with no choice but to be armchair athletes, it is joy cheering on the best in the MLB All-Star, World Series or Super Bowl or it may simply be going to a New York Jets or Yankees games. Each trip represents a time away from home to create special happy moments with the family to forget their daily trials. Sometimes, it's a basic wish of a shopping spree for basic necessities. It may be a computer or laptop to give them a window to the world while they're in another hospital or in their own room as they undergo more testing or recovering from more treatments. For children with severe physical disabilities, a wish for something practical like a Hoyer Lift to easily move from the bed to a wheelchair or a chair, enabling participation in the daily home life over the specter of life trapped in bed as well as relieving the caregiver of the physical stress as the children gets bigger. Children, whose illness force isolation, frequently asked for a room makeover from their favorite themes, usually inspired by Disney – A Jungle Room, A Little Mermaid Room or A Hannah Montana Room or sometimes, simply for a space that doesn’t look like a hospital room. These same children may also ask for a puppy as companions reducing their loneliness from having to avoid human contact for fear of catching a cold which in a very sick child will have severe effect.
