A Special Wish Foundation, Inc.

Originating in 1982, A Special Wish Foundation, Inc., has granted over 4,000 “special” wishes in 43 states and the District of Columbia. ASW was the first wish-granting organization in Ohio and the third in the nation at the time. It was founded by Ramona Fickle, a former hospice volunteer, who was concerned about the lack of services for children with life-threatening illnesses.

In 1982, six-year-old Amber Johnson was diagnosed with Leukemia, and A Special Wish Foundation had just begun its journey of granting “special” wishes. So, Amber, a patient at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, became ASW’s first wish recipient, and Founder, Ramona Fickle, got to work!