Frequently Asked Questions

How does a child qualify to have his or her Individual
Dream come true?

How does Sunshine define “severe physical disability” and “life-threatening illness”?

Who can request that an Individual Dream Application
be sent to a family?

How can I refer a child for an Individual Dream?

How is the Referral Form different from the Individual
Dream Application?

What happens once Sunshine receives a completed Individual Dream Application?

Once a Dream is approved, how long does it take to make the Dream come true and present it to the child?

How does Sunshine organize a Dream with a family?

With Sunshine Dream trips, which family members
are able to take part?

How is a Dream presented to the child and family?

What other types of Dream fulfillment work does Sunshine do?

How does a child qualify to have his or her Individual Dream come true?

Sunshine Foundation has five eligibility criteria. The child must:

  1. Have a severe physical disability or a life-threatening illness
  2. Be between the age of three to 18th birthday and have at least the cognitive ability of a three-year-old
  3. Live in Canada
  4. Be able to formulate his or her Dream (this must be the Dream of the child) and communicate the Dream with or without technical assistance
  5. Have not already received a Dream or wish from a similar organization (however, the child may have participated on a Sunshine DreamLift)

In addition, the Dream and its cost and safety are considered. For those reasons, Dreams we are unable to fulfill include trips to dangerous places, motor vehicles, boats, trampolines, all-terrain vehicles, shopping sprees, medical equipment and trips to seek medical aid or to attend medical conferences.

How does Sunshine define “severe physical disability” and “life-threatening illness”?

Sunshine defines “severe physical disability” as a severe impairment including all childhood diseases in which a physical disorder is present (examples include, but are not limited to, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida). We define “life-threatening illness” as an illness likely to lead to death during childhood or early adult life. Children with primary global delays are not eligible.

Who can request that an Individual Dream Application be sent to a family?

Sunshine receives referrals from the child, healthcare professionals working with the child, the child’s parent(s) or guardian(s), or healthcare-related charities and foundations. If you are not listed above but would still like to refer a child, please contact us for more information at Dreams@sunshine.ca or 1.800.461.7935.

How can I refer a child for an Individual Dream?

We’ve taken care to make the process simple. You can refer a child by completing and submitting a Referral Form (PDF). The form seeks only basic information about the child: name, diagnosis, age, and home contact information. Once Sunshine receives the Referral Form our staff will contact you and send a full Individual Dream Application Form to the child’s family.

How is the Referral Form different from the Individual Dream Application?

When Sunshine receives a Referral Form, we review it to determine a child’s eligibility. Once eligibility is confirmed, we send an Individual Dream Application to the child’s home.

The Individual Dream Application requires more detailed information about the child, his or her diagnosis and Dream. In addition, the child’s physician must fill in parts of the Application Form. In the majority of cases, this additional detail provides Sunshine with enough information to go forward with a Dream.

What happens once Sunshine receives a completed Individual Dream Application?

Staff and volunteer medical personnel review the Individual Dream Application. Review time can vary, as we need time to consult physicians. But for ordinary Dream requests, the family will receive a response within about six weeks.

Urgent Dreams will receive priority treatment at every stage of processing and Dream approval can happen in a matter of hours when necessary. It is crucial that we know which Dreams are most medically urgent. Our referral partners can then help us respond quickly to a child and their family.

Once a Dream is approved, how long does it take to make the Dream come true and present it to the child?

Once we confirm fulfilling a Dream, we work as quickly as we can to make the Dream a reality. Currently, we are working on almost 100 Dreams. As a result, there is a waiting time of approximately one year for the fulfillment of medically non-urgent Dreams. Please alert us if your child’s Dream fulfillment requires immediate attention because of medical urgency.

Some Dreams such as celebrity meetings take time to arrange. Planning a Dream trip around a child’s medical needs and a family's complicated schedule can also take time. The families of Sunshine children frequently comment on how well the Dreams are coordinated and we believe our careful planning is worth it.

How does Sunshine organize a Dream with a family?

Dream trips, and some Dream gifts, require a great deal of planning to make sure we take care of all the details. We want the child and their family to be able to enjoy the Dream as much as possible without having the Dream unduly complicated by the child’s medical situation. Careful coordination with Sunshine’s home office and the family helps ensure all the preparations are made to meet the family’s expectations and the child’s needs.

With Sunshine Dream trips, which family members are able to take part?

Typically, we invite the custodial parents and any school-aged children to take part in a Dream trip. In extreme circumstances, when the Sunshine child requires constant care, we may invite a caregiver to accompany the family. For trips to very distant destinations, we may limit the number of family members who can participate.

How is a Dream presented to the child and family?

Our chapter volunteers, in communities across Canada, present Dreams to families in their area. The local Dream Fulfillment Volunteer works directly with the family to arrange the Dream presentation and make it special in accordance with the family’s desires. Volunteers may invite people in the community who have a connection to the Dream, such as the professional who referred the child and/or a Sunshine sponsor. The local media may also be invited if the family agrees. The Dream Fulfillment Volunteer ensures the details of the Dream are clear to the family. In the case of a Dream gift, it means ensuring that the gift is in working order and the family has the operating manuals. In the case of a trip, it means that they understand the details of their upcoming vacation.

What other types of Dream Fulfillment work does Sunshine do?

In addition to fulfilling Individual Dreams, Sunshine organizes DreamLifts. These one-day whirlwind trips depart from different locations across Canada and take large groups of children to exciting destinations such as West Edmonton Mall, Walt Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California. If a DreamLift is being planned for your area, you may be able to help us with referrals -- and even act as a health care volunteer or buddy for the children on DreamLift day. DreamLifts are planned far enough in advance to allow us to give plenty of notice to our referral partners.