After going on pause in 2025, popular YouTube creator Seán “Jacksepticeye” McLoughlin’s annual charity event Thankmas is returning this year as a six-month fundraiser for Make-A-Wish with a goal of $3 million.
Dubbed “Wishmas,” the overarching event (which will culminate in Jacksepticeye’s Thankmas livestream on YouTube on Dec. 5) is intended to give creators and fans “more time to make an impact for children with critical illnesses.”
Per the official Thankmas announcement from Make-A-Wish, “For children facing a critical illness, a wish can provide hope, strength and a sense of normalcy. Research shows that wishes can build the emotional and physical strength needed to help children fight their illness and improve quality of life. But for every wish Make-A-Wish grants, two more children are still waiting for a wish.”
YouTube creator and gamer McLoughlin has previously partnered with Make-A-Wish and helped to grant more than 30 wishes. McLoughlin chose Make-A-Wish as the focus of this year’s Thankmas following his own experiences with children in the program.
“For wish alum Billy, meeting Seán was life-changing. Living with a critical illness that requires more than three hours of daily medical care, Billy said Seán’s videos helped distract him from the pain and gave him something to look forward to,” Make-A-Wish’s Thankmas announcement states. “During his wish, Billy and Seán bonded over comics, space, movies and gaming, and Seán encouraged Billy’s dream of becoming a creator. When Billy’s mother said the experience had ‘made his year,’ Billy quietly added, ‘It made my life!'”
