Marty Lyons Foundation (official)

The Marty Lyons Foundation (MLF) was established in 1982 to fulfill the special wishes of children, ages three (3) to seventeen (17) years old, who have been diagnosed as having a terminal or life-threatening illness by providing and arranging special wish requests. We are unique in that we will grant a second wish to a deserving child. The Foundation has 11 chapters supporting 14 states – Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Incorporated in 1982 as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) organization, MLF has granted over 8,600 wishes and is dedicated to making more dreams come true for our children. Marty Lyons was a NFL player for the NY Jets where he served for twelve years as a premiere defensive lineman. Early in his career, Marty befriended and became a Big Brother to a three-year-old boy suffering from an advanced illness. Three years later, in the spring of 1982, the youngster’s passing coincided with the sudden death of Marty’s father and the birth of his first child – a healthy son - all in the same week. These experiences profoundly affected Marty’s attitude toward life, fame and his fellow human beings. With the encouragement and assistance of his family and friends, Marty became determined to establish a foundation dedicated to granting the wishes of seriously-ill children. These wishes have the ability to sweep the children and their family away from the daily heartache of illness. It is a joyous time which creates wonderful memories and promotes a better quality of life. We have granted wishes for a special trip to Disney, meet and greet with a celebrity, a computer system, a swimming pool, a shopping spree and much more. Every child has a dream, and although we can’t promise a lifetime of happiness to these seriously-ill children, we can make dreams become reality!