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The making of the 'Wish Man'

In 1980 highway patrol officer Frank Shankwitz helped grant the dying wish of a boy who dreamed of joining the police; that boy inspired Frank to set up the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Frank Shankwitz was the co-founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organisation that since 1980 has granted hundreds of thousands of wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Frank’s inspiration came from his own difficult childhood, a near-death experience and an encounter with a 7-year-old boy named Chris Greicius. Frank passed away recently; he spoke to Outlook's Andrea Kennedy about his extraordinary life in October 2019.

Presenter: Andrea Kennedy
Producer: Tom Harding Assinder

Picture: Frank Shankwitz and Chris Greicius
Credit: Frank Shankwitz

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

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27 minutes

Last on

Sun 14 Feb 2021 23:32GMT

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  • Sun 14 Feb 2021 08:32GMT
  • Sun 14 Feb 2021 23:32GMT

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