9-year-old cancer patient becomes Detroit police chief for a day
theGRIO REPORT - On Friday, nine-year-old cancer patient Jayvon Felton was given the opportunity to spend a day living out the one job he's always wanted to have as Detroit police chief.
Nine-year-old Jayvon Felton made a hospital visit in April after his mother was concerned that he had contracted a stomach virus. Instead, doctors discovered that he had cancer and diagnosed him with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Felton was placed under intensive care for a month and is currently still under recovery – but that hasn’t stopped the fourth grader from living out his dream.
On Friday, Felton was given the opportunity to spend a day living out the one job he’s always wanted to have: becoming Detroit police chief.
“When he was little, he always talked about the police, how they make things safe,” Jayvon’s mom, Amanda Clinkscales, told The Huffington Post. “He told me, ‘Mom, when I get older I want to fight crime and help people.'”
The Children’s Hospital of Michigan organized a day for Felton to fill in the shoes of the city’s police chief. Although he is undergoing heavy treatment and has a weakened immune system, community members thought it would be a great way to pick up his spirits.
Officers arrived to his home Friday to surprise him and “his bottom lip just dropped,” Felton’s mother said.
The officers provided him with a kid-sized uniform and took the young boy on a cruise in their cars and a special helicopter ride over the city where they made a stop to meet Detroit Police Chief James Craig.
He was even sworn into office and experienced all of the real-life duties and responsibilities of a police chief.
Felton spent the day living out his dream and found support in many of the community members, classmates and friends. He has not been able to attend school for the past year due to his illness and has lost a substantial amount of weight.
But despite the constant chemotherapy he endures and his ongoing struggles of battling cancer, Felton was able to let go of his worries and experience joy – even if it was just for a day.
“It was just so amazing to see him so grown up and so mature,” his mother said. “It made me a proud mom, I was just so happy to see him happy.”
Follow Lilly Workneh on Twitter @Lilly_Works
You Might Like
