Under the official 2026 global standards for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an eligible child is entitled to only one wish in their lifetime. This policy is strictly enforced to ensure that the foundation can reach as many of the hundreds of thousands of eligible children as possible with its limited resources. A "wish" is defined as the core experience—whether it’s meeting a celebrity, going to Disney, or becoming a superhero for a day—and once that wish is fulfilled, the child is no longer eligible for another, even if their medical condition changes or recurs. This one-wish rule also applies across different organizations; if a child has received a wish from a similar group like the Starlight Children's Foundation, they are typically ineligible for a Make-A-Wish. The only exception to this "one-and-done" rule is if a wish was previously canceled or postponed due to medical reasons before it could be fulfilled. The goal is to provide a single, transformative "North Star" experience that provides lasting hope and strength throughout the child's medical journey.