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Click the photo to see more about this Wish

The Agrace Wish Program is a way for community donors, staff and volunteers to work together to grant end-of-life wishes for Agrace Hospice Care patients. The program was created in partnership with a former volunteer, Susan Richardson, and her husband, Matt. The Wish Program allows us to grant patients’ wishes by providing funds for the wish, coordinating the logistics to make a wish happen, or both.

Who is eligible for the program?

All Agrace Hospice Care patients are eligible for a wish. Wishes can be things patients have not been able to attain during their lifetimes and always wanted to do, something they cannot afford or simply a final desire. The gallery below shows a handful of examples of the hundreds of wishes we’ve granted since the program began in 2010.

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For more information about the Wish Program, please contact Donor Services at (608) 327-7180.

Wish Gallery

1/9
A music lover, Glenn was able to live his dream of being on stage. Even though he had Down syndrome and rarely spoke at all, Glenn grabbed the mike and “sang” for more than an hour with a jazz band.
2/9
At 101, Betty wanted to be able to go swimming one more time.  A retired UW-Madison physical education and kinesiology professor, she was once an intercollegiate breaststroke champion in her native Canada. With some help from Capitol Lakes in Madison and coordination from the Agrace Wish program, Betty was able to swim six (!) laps in a warm water pool, accompanied by Agrace nurse, Ben, and her Agrace social worker, Michele.
3/9
Kathy Jo's prized sewing machine had broken and she was unable to finish two quilts for her twin great-grandchildren. The Wish program paid for this repair, and Kathy Jo was able to complete these special quilts.
4/9
When Agrace patient Lora’s nephew Anthony turned 16, the donor-funded Agrace Wish Program arranged for Lora’s car to be detailed and its headlight fixed, so she could give it to him. With her bed wheeled out to her Agrace patio, she watched Anthony’s first spin behind the wheel.
5/9
Agrace Hospice Care patient Johnny Myrick (center) had a wish fulfilled as he spent a beautiful morning fishing on Lake Mendota in Madison. The Agrace Wish program provided and paid for a pontoon boat ride for the occasion, and arranged for assistance from avid angler Jim Siebers and Agrace volunteer Lan Waddell. “Johnny was extremely happy to get out on a boat again,” says his Agrace nurse, Sierra Jiran. “When we talk about fishing, he is a whole new person. Doing something that he used to do all the time—and is passionate about—really helped with his quality of life.”
6/9
Ed Struve, an Agrace patient at Legacy Gardens, mentioned that before he died, he wished he could spend time with a horse. Ed had grown up on a ranch and had been around horses most of his life. Through the combined efforts of his Agrace care team, Legacy Gardens Administrator Rich Eggers, Kari Sasso of the UW–Madison Police Department and her horse, Vegas, Ed got his wish two days later. It was quite a sight to see the frail but happy man and the gentle horse together. Ed died the next day, his dream fulfilled.
7/9
Don, an Agrace patient, mentioned to his team that he had tickets to a Maggie Mae concert and was sad he couldn’t go, due to his health. Maggie Mae is a well-known, Wisconsin-based country musician who was scheduled to perform in Wisconsin Dells that weekend. Agrace Foundation staff reached out to Maggie Mae directly. She agreed to take time out of her tour and travel to see Don at his bedside the next afternoon!
8/9
We sent a young couple we served at their home in Rio, Wisconsin, on a “date night” at their favorite restaurant in Wisconsin Dells area. The patient had mentioned to his Agrace caregiver that he would like one night alone with his wife which they hadn’t had in a long time due to his illness. We secured a limo as their transportation that was given to us at cost and got flowers donated for the patient’s wife. While on their way to dinner the patient asked the limo to stop by his mom’s house to show her. After dinner they took the limo through the Dairy Queen drive-through. The young patient died only a couple of weeks after his special night out with his wife.
9/9
Life and health circumstances didn’t allow Adeline to travel, so her hospice team brought Hawaii to her, including an authentic lei.
A music lover, Glenn was able to live his dream of being on stage. Even though he had Down syndrome and rarely spoke at all, Glenn grabbed the mike and “sang” for more than an hour with a jazz band.
At 101, Betty wanted to be able to go swimming one more time.  A retired UW-Madison physical education and kinesiology professor, she was once an intercollegiate breaststroke champion in her native Canada. With some help from Capitol Lakes in Madison and coordination from the Agrace Wish program, Betty was able to swim six (!) laps in a warm water pool, accompanied by Agrace nurse, Ben, and her Agrace social worker, Michele.
Kathy Jo's prized sewing machine had broken and she was unable to finish two quilts for her twin great-grandchildren. The Wish program paid for this repair, and Kathy Jo was able to complete these special quilts.
When Agrace patient Lora’s nephew Anthony turned 16, the donor-funded Agrace Wish Program arranged for Lora’s car to be detailed and its headlight fixed, so she could give it to him. With her bed wheeled out to her Agrace patio, she watched Anthony’s first spin behind the wheel.
Agrace Hospice Care patient Johnny Myrick (center) had a wish fulfilled as he spent a beautiful morning fishing on Lake Mendota in Madison. The Agrace Wish program provided and paid for a pontoon boat ride for the occasion, and arranged for assistance from avid angler Jim Siebers and Agrace volunteer Lan Waddell. “Johnny was extremely happy to get out on a boat again,” says his Agrace nurse, Sierra Jiran. “When we talk about fishing, he is a whole new person. Doing something that he used to do all the time—and is passionate about—really helped with his quality of life.”
Ed Struve, an Agrace patient at Legacy Gardens, mentioned that before he died, he wished he could spend time with a horse. Ed had grown up on a ranch and had been around horses most of his life. Through the combined efforts of his Agrace care team, Legacy Gardens Administrator Rich Eggers, Kari Sasso of the UW–Madison Police Department and her horse, Vegas, Ed got his wish two days later. It was quite a sight to see the frail but happy man and the gentle horse together. Ed died the next day, his dream fulfilled.
Don, an Agrace patient, mentioned to his team that he had tickets to a Maggie Mae concert and was sad he couldn’t go, due to his health. Maggie Mae is a well-known, Wisconsin-based country musician who was scheduled to perform in Wisconsin Dells that weekend. Agrace Foundation staff reached out to Maggie Mae directly. She agreed to take time out of her tour and travel to see Don at his bedside the next afternoon!
We sent a young couple we served at their home in Rio, Wisconsin, on a “date night” at their favorite restaurant in Wisconsin Dells area. The patient had mentioned to his Agrace caregiver that he would like one night alone with his wife which they hadn’t had in a long time due to his illness. We secured a limo as their transportation that was given to us at cost and got flowers donated for the patient’s wife. While on their way to dinner the patient asked the limo to stop by his mom’s house to show her. After dinner they took the limo through the Dairy Queen drive-through. The young patient died only a couple of weeks after his special night out with his wife.
Life and health circumstances didn’t allow Adeline to travel, so her hospice team brought Hawaii to her, including an authentic lei.