Kathy Jetton has served as the president and CEO of Make-A-Wish of Central and Western North Carolina since October 2020.
Make-A-Wish, a nonprofit with 60 chapters across the nation, grants wishes for children aged 2 to 18 with critical and life-threatening illnesses. Make-A-Wish of Central and Western North Carolina serves 51 counties. In a typical year, the chapter grants around 400 wishes at an average cost of $7,500 per wish.
On this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Ledger managing editor Cristina Bolling sat down with Jetton to talk about Make-A-Wish’s impact across North Carolina and why the work they do is important. Jetton also discusses:
The organization’s four wish categories: “I wish to have,” “I wish to meet,” “I wish to go,” and “I wish to be.”
Common wishes like Disney trips and meeting celebrities.
A touching story about one child’s wish for a boat after her illness became terminal.
How Make-A-Wish’s impact extends to the entire family, creating lasting memories during challenging times.
The increased cost of wishes, partly due to inflation and the pandemic.
The emotions of being in a role like Jetton’s.
Common misconceptions about Make-A-Wish.
We hope you enjoy the conversation with Kathy Jetton.
The Charlotte Ledger Podcast is produced by Lindsey Banks.
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How Make-A-Wish grants wishes