Frank Shankwitz is a cofounder and first president and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, founded in 1980. Still actively involved, he is featured as keynote speaker for fundraising events at chapters across the country and has also served as a board member for the Arizona chapter. Shankwitz has been featured in numerous media outlets, including New York Times–bestselling author Brad Meltzer's new book, Heroes For My Son, USA Weekend Magazine, the Huffington Post, Glenn Beck, and in newspaper articles around the world. Shankwitz is an air force veteran and retired as a detective from the Arizona Department of Public Safety with more than thirty-two years of service.

Rachelle Sparks worked as an award-winning journalist for a daily newspaper in Prescott, Arizona, where she wrote stories about the unforgettable “wish” families who became her inspiration for writing Once Upon A Wish. She then became a freelance writer for numerous publications, including Arizona Highways magazine and the Phoenix and San Francisco editions of 944 magazine, while venturing the country to interview and capture the stories of the families featured in this book. She lives with her husband, Bobby, and their two sons, Andrew and Evan, in San Diego. This is her first book.