# Make-a-wish foundation: do they get X rated wishes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278 "2004-12-30T18:11:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![daftpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@daftpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daftpunk)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/1 "2004-12-30T18:11:09Z")
Anybody know if the Make-A-Wish foundation gets pornograhic wishes? What do they do in this case? On one hand, I see nothing wrong with fulfilling a teenager’s desire to experience sex before s/he dies. On the other hand, using charitable donations to procure hookers would probably anger donors. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/2 "2004-12-30T18:32:27Z")
Having worked for the Make A Wish Foundation the definitive answer is, No they do not. They have had requests, I will say that, and some of the more notable wishes that made the papers include the kid in Montana who wanted to shoot a bear on a hunting trip, and the kid who wanted to be in the Matrix Movie. Both happened. ---
**Author:** ![daftpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@daftpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daftpunk)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/3 "2004-12-30T18:41:35Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > Having worked for the Make A Wish Foundation the definitive answer is, No they do not. Thank you. I can certainly understand the reasons, though I personally feel that if a teenager wants to feel such a basic human experience s/he shouldn’t be denied. Also, I hope my original question wasn’t insensitive or in bad taste. I think the Make-a-Wish foundation is a wonderful charity. I was just curious. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/4 "2004-12-30T19:08:55Z")
> [@daftpunk](#): > > Thank you. I can certainly understand the reasons, though I personally feel that if a teenager wants to feel such a basic human experience s/he shouldn’t be denied. Perhaps not, but that doesn’t mean the Make-A-Wish Foundation ought to be the one to make it happen. The going rate for a prostitute must be a lot higher than I thought if it takes a charitable foundation to foot the bill. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/5 "2004-12-30T19:11:13Z")
Hookers = Make-A-Wish Foundation writ small. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/6 "2004-12-30T19:50:34Z")
[Chris Rock] Jimmy, you’re about to die. You want to meet Jim Carrey? Nah, I want some big ol’ titties in my face! [/Chris Rock] ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Deschain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@Roland\_Deschain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Deschain)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/7 "2004-12-30T19:59:28Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > [Chris Rock] > > Jimmy, you’re about to die. You want to meet Jim Carrey? > > Nah, I want some big ol’ titties in my face! > > [/Chris Rock] Well, if I owned a legal brothel in some place like Nevada I would start a program to grant free “wishes” to all affected teenagers provided their situation was somehow validated. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/8 "2004-12-30T20:12:10Z")
> [@Roland Deschain](#): > > Well, if I owned a legal brothel in some place like Nevada I would start a program to grant free “wishes” to all affected teenagers provided their situation was somehow validated. Both you and you’re…um, employee would be able to write it off as a charitable contribution, right? Neat idea! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/9 "2004-12-30T20:13:13Z")
Obviously **you’re** in the above post was supposed to be **your**. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/10 "2004-12-30T20:19:23Z")
_When you wish upon a tart . . ._ Actually had the entire song written out but seeing as how it decidedly would have pissed off more than a few I wisely deleted the rest. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/11 "2004-12-30T21:22:30Z")
> [@daftpunk](#): > > Also, I hope my original question wasn’t insensitive or in bad taste. I think the Make-a-Wish foundation is a wonderful charity. I was just curious. The Make A Wish trips, etc. are for the victims of cancer and other chidhood diseases with less than the desired outcome, and their families. The foundation provides a vacation, if you would call it that, or sometimes a special item the child could not have otherwise.With that being said, they families and I would think your OP was uncalled for and in poor taste at the best. > [@daftpunk](#): > > Thank you. I can certainly understand the reasons, though I personally feel that if a teenager wants to feel such a basic human experience s/he shouldn’t be denied. You could have omitted your opinion under the circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/12 "2004-12-30T21:23:46Z")
> [@daftpunk](#): > > Also, I hope my original question wasn’t insensitive or in bad taste. I think the Make-a-Wish foundation is a wonderful charity. I was just curious. The Make A Wish trips, etc. are for the victims of cancer and other chidhood diseases with less than the desired outcome, and their families. The foundation provides a vacation, if you would call it that, or sometimes a special item the child could not have otherwise.With that being said, they families and I would think your OP was uncalled for and in poor taste at the best. :rolleyes: > [@daftpunk](#): > > Thank you. I can certainly understand the reasons, though I personally feel that if a teenager wants to feel such a basic human experience s/he shouldn’t be denied. You could have omitted your opinion under the circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/13 "2004-12-30T21:49:13Z")
**spingears** : > [@](#): > > With that being said, they families and I would think your OP was uncalled for and in poor taste at the best. How so? Sex is something that every person greatly desires as they approach adulthood. And yet there is a certain mindset that feels that sex is something that vulnerable individuals need to be protected from, forgetting that they have feelings of their own. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/14 "2004-12-30T22:01:03Z")
I knew a guy who had cancer as a kid, he got something from Make-a-Wish it wasn’t any of the more “out there” things like you saw with the kid that killed the bear. IIRC he got a trip to Disney World, and he got to ride around in a limo. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/15 "2004-12-30T23:25:50Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > And yet there is a certain mindset that feels that sex is something that vulnerable individuals need to be protected from, forgetting that they have feelings of their own. There are probably a good many attitudes toward sex, of which this is just one. And, as the OP notes, it’s almost certain that the Make-a-wish Foundation’s interaction with donors would change significantly of they incorporated this new approach toward wish fulfillment. Can anyone seriously believe this is likely to happen? Or that it belongs in GQ? ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/16 "2004-12-30T23:33:00Z")
I’m posting an imaginary one tonight. _insiders joke_ ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/17 "2004-12-30T23:42:44Z")
I recall reading an article in a legit publication within the last couple of years in which a British hospital staff did indeed obtain a prostitute for a dying patient around 17 yrs old. It was an article about this sort of issue in the wake of the bear fiasco. Naturally a number of people wanted to remain off record for that one (any number of illegalities involved) and anonymity was maintained; apparently the patient died by the time the article was published. ☹ I wish (no pun intended) that I remembered more detail to track the story down; anyone recall this? ---
**Author:** ![meowpossum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/848f3c/32.png) [@meowpossum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meowpossum)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/18 "2004-12-31T00:18:45Z")
The recipients of the foundation’s largesse are all minors. I would guess that providing underage kids with prostitutes, pornography, or other X-rated goodies would be illegal in most states any road. ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/19 "2004-12-31T01:01:09Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > The Make A Wish trips, etc. are for the victims of cancer and other chidhood diseases with less than the desired outcome, and their families. The foundation provides a vacation, if you would call it that, or sometimes a special item the child could not have otherwise.With that being said, they families and I would think your OP was uncalled for and in poor taste at the best. :rolleyes: > > You could have omitted your opinion under the circumstances. I don’t think his OP or his opinion was in bad taste at all. He presented his question with a sincere curiosity and hope for an answer. I work and care for babies, childrens, and teens with cancer. I’m an RN and I see all the shit these kids have to go through. I often wonder about the teens and young adults I care for, especially when I know their situation is hopeless. I wonder what I would be feeling knowing that I’m going to die so young and haven’t experienced those things that nearly all adult humans do, including sex. It’s very sad. Of course, I know that Make A Wish is a great organization and that’s not in their scope of wish-granting. But a regular person would not know that, and I think it’s a legitimate question to be curious about. That being said, I’m sure if a teen is determined to have sex before he/she dies, and the family isn’t all that religiously uptight about it, there’s probably folks out there that would arrange something like that. I don’t know who they would be, but I betcha they are out there. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278/20 "2004-12-31T01:09:28Z")
Apropos **LorieSmurf** ’s comment, and because her online personality reminds me of the character, I recall some time ago reading a novelization of a true story in which a boy in his early teens, gay as it happens, was dying of complications of acute lymphocytic leukemia, and a kindly nurse arranged for his boyfriend to sleep with him the last few nights of his life. (“Sleep with” is literal, not euphemism for sex – he was too far gone for any sexual activity, but the comfort of being with the boy he loved made his last days more endurable.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-a-wish-foundation-do-they-get-x-rated-wishes/282278.md?page=2)