Providing Vacations for Kids and Families Battling Cancer, Childhood Diseases, and Special Needs.
Bringing Joy and Relief One Beach Vacation at a Time
How WeHelp
Wish Upon a Starfish is directed by Tom and Laura Vooris. Their lives have been directed to help families where there is a child or a family member of critical medical need, particularly those with cancer, childhood illness, or other kinds of special needs.
Wish Upon a Starfish realizes that the families with these children who have special medical needs have their lives almost solely directed on the sick child’s well being, making sure they having the appropriate medical care, and making sure that every day possibile is available to their sick child.
What we do is provide a getaway for these families in homes local to Panama City Beach, Florida. It’s a reprieve from the constant press of having to deal with everyday life, a break from the routine, and is a time where the family’s can reconnect and build memories, as some times– time is short. There is an application process for these families, and we recognize that we’re unable to help everyone and that there is far more need than we are able to provide. For that know up front that though we cannot provide for everyone who has need, our hearts are with you and our Wishes for miracles for what we understand are very difficult situations.
Donate
Not only can you donate financially to help the families we're helping, but you can donate time at your vacation property as well.
Apply
If you're a family that has specific challenges with cancer, childhood disease, or special needs-- take the next step and apply for a vacation.
Connect
Would you like to connect with us? Interested in becoming a partner or a sponsor? Reach out here.
Qualifications
We’re looking to help as many different types of families as we can, but our priority is to donate our properties to families who:
- Have a child battling cancer, some other childhood illness or special needs
- The child is medically stable enough to travel to the Panama City Beach area
- Does not require extensive medical equipment (or whatever medical equipment is required can be transported)
- Is referred by a medical professional or affiliated agency
If you feel your family can meet these qualifications, please contact us, and let’s talk about getting your vacation scheduled.
HowYOU Can Help
If you have a passion for helping families who have a child in need, we have several ways that you can directly help. You can:
- Donate Time: If you have rental property around the Panama City Beach area and you have some empty time slots, please contact us about offering your property.
- Donate Money: Our goal is to provide a vacation for our families with no or minimal out-of-pocket expenses. This means we always need money for groceries. Please contact us and we’re happy to explain how their donations will be used.
- Spread the Word: If you’re like us and love what we do, please share about our non-profit with your friends and family.