Make-A-Wish and ESPN team up for the 18th season of the "My Wish" series

Since 2006, the summer series has showcased more than 80 inspiring stories of wish kids meeting their favorite teams and athletes

PHOENIX, July 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Make-A-Wish and ESPN have announced that the "My Wish" series will return to SportsCenter from July 13-17, 2025. The fan-favorite series focuses on the medical journeys of children facing critical illnesses and the life-changing hope and joy they experience when their wishes to meet their sports heroes come true.  

For each of the wishes featured, ESPN cameras were on-hand to document the wish journey from the initial surprise when the wish kids learned their wish was coming true to the life-changing day when they met their favorite athlete or team. Over the years, "My Wish" has featured global superstars, world champions, gold medalists, hall of famers and MVPs. This year's roster of wish kids, star-studded athletes and teams along with details of their anticipated premieres are as follows:

• Sunday, July 13, at 7:00 a.m. ET: Aiden, a 14-year-old with leukemia, spent time with his favorite player and one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, Justin Jefferson, during an unforgettable day at the Minnesota Vikings' facility.
• Monday, July 14, at 7:00 a.m. ET: Bear, an 11-year-old with a genetic condition, learned what it takes to run, swing, and dance his way into being a viral sensation when he became the latest addition to the Savannah Bananas.
• Tuesday, July 15, at 7:00 a.m. ET: John, a 12-year-old with congenital heart disease, took the field alongside star quarterback C.J. Stroud and the rest of the Houston Texans.
• Wednesday, July 16, at 7:00 a.m. ET: Alejandro, a 14-year-old with cystic fibrosis, got a first-hand look at the dedication required to be the best during his time training with two-time undisputed super-middleweight champion Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez.
• Thursday, July 17, at 7:00 a.m. ET: A wrap-up feature will showcase the best moments from each of this year's wishes.

Once debuted, each feature will continue to air on successive SportsCenter programs for 24 hours. A digital version of each of the "My Wish" features will also be available on the ESPN YouTube page and the ESPN and Make-A-Wish websites shortly following their debut. For Alejandro's story, Spanish-speaking sports fans can catch an exclusive version produced for the Spanish-language counterpart series, "Mi Deseo," on ESPN Deportes and the ESPN Deportes website.  

"Every year, the 'My Wish' series brings the strength and resilience of our wish kids to life through the lens of the sports they love most," said Leslie Motter, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. "Thanks to ESPN, fellow sports fans around the world can see how a wish serves as a powerful source of hope and healing for wish kids, their families and everyone else involved." 

As he has since the very first "My Wish" story, Emmy-award winning reporter Chris Connelly will bring his storytelling prowess to the series through his insightful interviews with the wish kids and their families.

"I've been part of My Wish since its inception, and I'm still just amazed by the resilience, strength and optimism of the children and families whose stories we share," Connelly said. "I think we're all grateful for the chance to show these wishes restoring hope and happiness to those who've had to endure so much."

Make-A-Wish extends its thanks to Disney and ESPN for their support of the "My Wish" series as part of The Walt Disney Company's commitment to delivering happiness and joy when it's needed most to children with critical illnesses and their families. Beyond assisting with this year's series, Disney, which owns ESPN, has been a steadfast friend of Make-A-Wish for 45 years and has helped the organization grant more than 165,000 Disney-related wishes, including the very first official wish. In fact, Disney is the world's largest wish granter for Make-A-Wish, granting a wish every hour of every day.

For more information about Make-A-Wish and the ESPN "My Wish" series, visit wish.org/mywish.

About Make-A-Wish^®
Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Founded in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the #1 most trusted nonprofit operating locally in all 50 states throughout the U.S. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 20,000 volunteers across the country, Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 615,000 wishes worldwide; more than 390,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

SOURCE Make-A-Wish America