Make-A-Wish® Australia has developed a new way for the community to support their mission of granting wishes to children with critical illnesses by using their smart speaker devices.
The new Make-A-Wish voice app allows users to find out about the organisation, the work they do and hear inspiring stories directly from wish families. Users are able to donate, receive information about the organisation or sign up to a monthly newsletter all through a simple conversation with their device.
Make-A-Wish CEO Sally Bateman said “The Make-A-Wish voice app was developed to bring our supporters closer to the wishes they make happen. We’re delighted to be able to connect with them in such an innovative and convenient way.”
Right now, due to the impacts of COVID-19, Make-A-Wish has more than 800 seriously ill children patiently counting down the days until their wish is possible. “With no government funding, Make-A-Wish relies on the incredible generosity and support from the community to help make these wishes happen,” revealed Ms Bateman.
“We hope by sharing these incredible stories from our children and families, we can create awareness about Make-A-Wish, and most importantly show the wide-ranging impact these wishes have in the community.”
The Make-A-Wish voice app was developed in partnership with Australian conversational AI experts, TalkVia and in collaboration with Amazon Alexa Australia. TalkVia’s Head of Innovation Guy Munro said “TalkVia’s roots are in accessibility and being able to help children and families in such a challenging time is something we are immensely passionate about. Our whole team has helped shape this project and we’re thrilled to bring this to life with the Make-A-Wish and Alexa teams”.
Wishes can range from a new cubby house to meeting Mickey Mouse, going on a dinosaur adventure or a trip to the snow, every wish is as unique as the child who imagines it. Each child goes on a carefully crafted journey, designed to increase resilience through positivity and hope. The voice app can also be accessed through Google Assistant enabled devices like Google Home and Google Nest.
