Make-A-Wish Wisconsin marked its 9,500th wish Monday with a limousine ride to an orthodontist appointment for 15-year-old Marlen Espinoza Rugama of Caledonia. Celebrating the end of her cancer battle, she chose braces rather than a trip or a toy.
Espinoza Rugama said braces appealed to her because they would last. In an interview with TMJ4, she described them as “something that would stay with me for forever.”
She told the station that cancer disrupted her schooling and caused her to lose her hair. She hopes improving her smile will help her regain confidence.
A Milestone Wish With Long-Term Meaning
Forrest Doolen, affiliated with Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, emphasized the wish’s potential to matter well beyond Espinoza Rugama’s treatment, saying it could benefit her for decades, according to TMJ4.
Doolen also said the chapter intends to keep granting every eligible wish for children with critical illnesses across the state, TMJ4 reported.
How the Wisconsin Chapter Operates
Make-A-Wish Wisconsin says on its website that it receives no federal or state funding, relying instead on corporate sponsorships, special events, foundation grants and individual contributions to cover the cost of each wish, according to Make-A-Wish Wisconsin. The chapter also identifies itself as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, meaning contributions are deductible to the extent permitted by law.
The chapter reached its 9,000th wish in October 2025, about 13 months before the 9,500th, according to MMAC. The organization, established in 1984, has described itself as granting upwards of 400 wishes annually in recent years.
The COVID-19 pandemic also disrupted the chapter’s wish fulfillment.
Wish Volume and Eligibility
The pandemic affected both travel and the number of wishes granted: Make-A-Wish Wisconsin’s FY2020 annual report says travel was halted, wishes had to be reimagined and wish numbers went down. By FY2024, the chapter reported a record-breaking 451 wishes, according to its FY2024 annual report. The same report says a child with a critical illness may be potentially eligible if they are at least 2½ and younger than 18 at referral and have not received a wish from another wish-granting organization. Its eligibility description does not state that treatment must be complete.
