Magic Lamp childrenʼs charity grants its 3,000th wish

Dominika Martina (17), from the village of Zsarolyán (300 km east of Budapest, close to the borders with Romania and Ukraine) is studying to become a hairdresser, and had asked for a hairdresser’s starter kit from Csodalámpa.

In pulling together that kit, the foundation asked the help of Hungarian celebrity stylist László Hajas, who welcomed Dominika to his Nádor utca Hajas Szalon in Budapest and presented her with a professional hairdressing equipment set.

With a Magic Lamp volunteer on hand to act as a model, Dominka was able to try out some of the elements of her new kit, assisted by Hajas himself.

According to the foundation website, the charity’s mission is to grant 260 to 300 wishes a year to children aged 3-18 years old who are suffering from a life-threatening illness.

Since Dominika’s landmark wish was granted on December 7, the work of Csodalámpa has continued at pace. At the time of writing, the running total stands at 3,010 wishes granted, with plenty more in the pipeline. “By granting the wish, the foundation intends to make the life of these children a little happier,” the 12-year-old foundation says on its website. “We believe that with our help they will be able to forget the hospital, the unpleasant treatments, and become happy ‘everyday’ children again. Having granted thousands of wishes we are convinced that making the wish of their dreams come true will strengthen their, and their familiesʼ belief in recovery.”

The charity’s statement concludes with a chilling statistic. “We regret to say that according to current statistics there are about 5,000 children in Hungary who – based on their medical status – are eligible to wish...”