Every Wish Counts: Queensland kids in hospital get a chance at Christmas joy as donations rise
As the cost-of-living crunch bites and holiday shopping looms, more Australians than ever are turning their attention from the usual gift blitz to meaningful giving.
As the cost-of-living crunch bites and holiday shopping looms, more Australians than ever are turning their attention from the usual gift blitz to meaningful giving. According to the latest 2025 Australia Giving Report, two-thirds (67 %) of Australians donated money in 2024 – up on global norms – yet the average share of income given remains below global benchmarks, showing the potential for increased impact.
Into that giving landscape steps Children’s Hospital Foundation, gearing up for its annual “A Wish for Christmas” appeal raising vital funds to directly benefit Queensland’s sickest kids, spending time at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
This Christmas, almost 4,000 children are expected to receive life-saving care at the hospital – which equates to roughly 130 unique wishes every day through December.
The Foundation says many of these young patients aren’t wishing for toys: they’re wishing to go home, to hug their pets, to feel well again. Wishes like that of ten-year-old Mahalia, who wished “to be able to spend Christmas with my friends”.
For seven-year-old Archer from Brisbane, the wish-list was very different this year. Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, he has already endured 15 months of treatment including chemotherapy, surgeries and lengthy hospital stays. Amid those difficult times, the Foundation’s programs – bedside gift deliveries, festive activity kits and a Santa photo-session with volunteers – delivered bright moments of hope.
“The moment we’ve had a ‘real’ Santa come to the ward, and Archer got to take a photo, it changed his whole evening,” says his mother. “In that tiny half-hour, he got to feel just like a kid again.”
The timing of the appeal aligns with broader generosity trends. While consumers are spending more carefully – for example, a 2023 survey found 72 % of Australians said they would be more mindful of spending this Christmas and 48 % planned to buy fewer presents for children or loved ones. In that context, redirecting even modest dollars to children in hospital can deliver outsized emotional and community value.
The Foundation spells this out with concrete “dollar handles”:
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“Every child deserves to feel the wonder of Christmas, especially when they’re not at home,” says Foundation CEO, Lyndsey Rice. “Your donation, large or small, helps make hospital feel more like home, helps kids act, think and feel like kids.”
With giving sentiment high but household budgets tight, the appeal offers a targeted, local way to channel generosity into real life-changing moments. You can donate at childrens.org.au/christmas or call 1300 742 554. Because this Christmas, making a wish come true means more than a gift – it means connection, comfort and hope.
