Why Dream?
You only live once, but if you do it right, it's enough"
Mae West
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YOLO Foundation was created to grant Dreams for adults with terminal illness. If you live in Blount, Sevier, or Knox counties in Tennessee, you or a loved one may be eligible for a "Dream Come True". We have created a short Initial Dream Request to be filled out to start the process. If you, or a loved one, is interested in being considered for a "Dream Come True", please click on the Initial Dream Request and fill out the brief application.
If you have any questions about YOLO, please go to the FAQ page or give us a call. |
Impact and Benefits of a Lifelong Dream Coming True Near the End of Life
Fulfilling a Dream for someone facing a terminal illness can have profound positive effects on their emotional and psychological well-being. A growing body of research examining how fulfilling final Dreams affects the well-being of terminally ill adults. Studies highlight that honoring these Dreams, whether simple or profound, can provide significant psychological, emotional, and spiritual benefits for both patients and their families.
Clinical data and reports from dream-granting organizations show that such experiences:
Therapeutic and Social Impact
Clinical data and reports from dream-granting organizations show that such experiences:
- Enhance Hope and Optimism: Dream fulfillment can restore hope, foster optimism, and provide positive emotions, even when time is short.
- Increase Well-Being: Research has shown that terminally ill adults who had a final dream fulfilled, experienced a mesaurable increase in well-being, as measured by the World Health Organization Well-Being Index. This improvement was observed in 80% of participants, regardless of their life expectancy.
- Bring Joy and Comfort: Patients and families report feelings of joy, inspiration, and comfort. These moments allow individuals to focus on living, rather than dying, and recapture the simple enjoyment of life.
- Provide Meaning and Growth: End-of-life experiences, including the realization of dreams, often help patients find meaning, experience personal growth, and reduce fear of death. Patients report that these moments help them affirm the life they have led, reconcile relationships, and gain insight into their mortality.
Therapeutic and Social Impact
- Distraction from Illness: Fulfilling a dream can distract patients from the distress of their illness, energize them, and help them feel recognized and cared for.
- Strengthening Family Bonds: Families benefit as well, finding an opportunity to reconnect, create positive memories, and achieve a sense of peace from witnessing their loved one’s dream come true.
- Legacy and Closure: Achieving a lifelong goal can help patients address legacy concerns, complete "unfinished business," and find closure, which are important elements of a "good death".
- Emotional and Psychological Benefits: Numerous hospice studies have shown that fulfilling a lifelong Dream is linked to enhanced emotional well-being, a greater sense of dignity, and improved quality of life for terminally ill adults. Patients with a final Dreams reported reduced anxiety, a sense of control, and increased peace during their final days. Hospice and palliative care teams often report that helping patients achieve their last wishes brings joy and meaning, sometimes even extending life or improving the patient’s mood and outlook.
- Family and Caregiver Outcomes: Studies have shown that making a Dream come true to their loved one to improve family members’ emotional experiences, facilitate closure, and ease the grieving process.
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Common Wishes
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Fulfilling final Dreams at the end of life is a powerful, evidence-based practice that enhances well-being, fosters connection, and brings meaning to patients and their families.
