A cancer care professional having a warm conversation with an adult and family member, representing how cancer centers can help connect families with adult wish support.
•Jason Pohlonski, Founder & Executive Director

How Can Cancer Centers Help Adults With Cancer Find Wish Support?

Cancer centers and oncology teams can play an important role in helping adults with cancer discover wish-granting support by simply making families aware that programs for adults may exist and connecting them with the appropriate organization.

Cancer center wish support for adults can begin with a short conversation, a shared link, or help opening a request form. Healthcare professionals do not need to plan or fund the experience. Their role may simply be to help someone learn about a resource they did not know existed.

One More Moment is an independent Michigan nonprofit helping adults facing Stage IV, advanced, or metastatic cancer create meaningful Moments with the people they love. Our guide to adult cancer wishes in Michigan explains more about this support.

Why Families May Not Know Adult Wish Programs Exist

Many people associate wish granting primarily with children. An adult facing cancer, or a loved one looking for cancer support for adults, may never think to search for a wish organization unless someone mentions it.

Families may search for a “wish program for adults with cancer,” an “adult cancer wish,” or “Make-A-Wish for adults with cancer” when trying to understand what is available. One More Moment is not affiliated with Make-A-Wish. We are an independent organization with our own eligibility guidelines and request review process.

A trusted person on the care team can make the first step feel approachable by explaining that a meaningful experience may be worth exploring, without promising approval or a particular outcome.

Who Inside a Cancer Center Can Help Make the Connection?

Anyone familiar with the person and appropriate resources may help share information. This may include:

  • Oncology social workers
  • Patient navigators
  • Nurses and physicians
  • Palliative care teams
  • Hospice professionals
  • Chaplains
  • Care coordinators

A social worker looking for a cancer wish program or a navigator gathering oncology patient support resources can share the same starting point: what One More Moment does, who it generally serves, and how to begin a request.

There does not need to be a formal health system partnership for a professional to share publicly available information. Sharing a resource does not imply that a cancer center endorses, funds, or partners with One More Moment. Read more about how hospice or oncology teams can refer someone for an adult cancer wish.

What Does One More Moment Do?

One More Moment helps adults in Michigan facing Stage IV, advanced, or metastatic cancer explore meaningful time with loved ones. A Moment reflects the individual, their relationships, and what feels manageable and important to them.

Possible ideas include a family outing, a favorite meal, a Michigan getaway, a sporting event, time near the water, a family gathering, or another local experience. When travel is not possible, an experience brought to the person may be considered if feasible.

A Moment can be quiet and close to home. The person does not need to want a large trip or public celebration.

Every request is reviewed individually. Eligibility, financial or logistical need, available resources, timing, and practical considerations affect what may be possible. Not every request can be fulfilled, and no particular experience or date is guaranteed. Our guide to who qualifies for a One More Moment wish explains the main considerations for a Stage 4 cancer wish.

Does a Healthcare Professional Have to Submit the Request?

No. The individual facing cancer can begin the request. A spouse, family member, friend, caregiver, social worker, or other appropriate person may also help start the conversation.

An adult cancer wish referral does not have to come from a physician or a particular department. A professional may share the Request a Moment form, help a family understand the questions, or assist with an introduction when the person wants that help.

The person facing cancer should remain at the center of the request. Ask whether they would like to explore a Moment, what would feel meaningful, and whom they want involved. Confirmation from an oncology provider may be requested during eligibility review, but a professional does not have to design the experience before anyone reaches out.

What Information Is Helpful?

A complete itinerary is not needed to start. Useful information may include:

  • General cancer status relevant to eligibility
  • Where the person lives in Michigan
  • Timing concerns or urgency
  • Mobility, accessibility, or comfort needs
  • What would be meaningful and who should be included
  • Who the person wants to help coordinate
  • Health or treatment considerations relevant to planning

Share only information needed for the request, with the person’s permission and through appropriate channels. There is no need to send an entire medical record or unrelated medical history to begin a conversation. One More Moment can follow up if additional information is needed.

Care teams can help clarify practical considerations when appropriate. Medical questions about activities or travel belong with the person’s care team.

Why Timing Matters

Health and mobility can change quickly. An early referral may create more flexibility around family schedules, accessible locations, transportation, and realistic options for the experience.

Reaching out early does not require the family to have every detail settled. It gives One More Moment a chance to listen and understand what matters while there may be more planning options.

If time is limited, make that clear when contacting the organization. A simpler local experience or a gathering brought to the person may be worth discussing, depending on feasibility. Read what to do when an adult cancer wish needs to happen quickly.

What If the Person Is Still Receiving Treatment?

Active treatment does not automatically mean someone should wait to reach out. An adult in Michigan facing Stage IV, advanced, or metastatic cancer can ask about a Moment while treatment continues.

Appointments, rest needs, comfort, and accessibility can guide planning. A request should be considered around the person’s care, without stopping, delaying, or changing treatment to make an experience happen. Treatment status alone does not guarantee eligibility or approval.

Our article Can You Receive an Adult Cancer Wish While Still in Treatment? explains more.

What If Someone Is in Hospice or Nearing the End of Life?

A meaningful Moment may still be possible depending on health, timing, comfort, available resources, and logistics. Hospice professionals can help a family communicate practical needs and preferences when the person wants their involvement.

A favorite meal, a small gathering, or time together in familiar surroundings may feel more appropriate than travel. The person’s wishes and comfort should guide the conversation, and some requests may not be feasible within the available time.

For more, read Can Adults in Hospice Receive a Cancer Wish?.

Privacy and Dignity

Some Moments are shared publicly only when permission is given, while many remain private. One More Moment respects the privacy and dignity of every warrior and family we serve.

A person can discuss boundaries about photographs, personal details, and who participates. Professionals helping with a referral should respect the person’s choices and share sensitive information carefully. Our Privacy Policy provides more information about submitted information.

A Simple Referral Can Make a Difference

Healthcare teams do not need to plan the Moment, raise funds for it, or promise that a request will be approved. Sometimes simply letting a family know that One More Moment exists is enough to start the conversation.

A care professional might say: “There is a Michigan nonprofit called One More Moment that helps eligible adults facing advanced cancer explore meaningful time with loved ones. Would you like the request link?”

That small introduction gives the person and family space to decide whether they want to learn more.

If you work with adults facing Stage IV, advanced, or metastatic cancer in Michigan, you can share One More Moment as a resource or help a family begin the request process.

Start here: Request a Moment.

About the Author

Jason Pohlonski is the Founder and Executive Director of One More Moment, a Michigan nonprofit organization helping adults facing Stage IV, advanced, or metastatic cancer create meaningful Moments with the people they love.

About One More Moment

One More Moment is an independent Michigan nonprofit helping adults facing Stage IV, advanced, or metastatic cancer create meaningful Moments with loved ones. Each request is reviewed individually. One More Moment is not affiliated with Make-A-Wish.