A mother’s promise and the dream of a dying boy.
Based on a story my father told me.
Elvis was diagnosed in March 2001 with embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer in which muscular tumors attach themselves to bone.

The healthy young boy of 8, spindly and growing, began to lose weight and grow pale as the chemotherapy treatments he underwent took their toll.

By the end October however, the tumor grew in size and mutated.

It was just a matter of time, when death comes along and claims Elvis it’s prize.

And in January, the doctors informed Elvis’ parents the worst possible news, nothing else could be done, so Elvis was sent home to enjoy the remaining 3 weeks of his life.

Like any parent, Elvis’ mother wanted her son to grow up and fulfill his dreams, but it would not be possible anymore.

The tumor would see to that, but she still wanted to fulfill her son’s dreams.

One evening, she held Elvis’ hand and asked “Elvis, what do you want to be when you grow up? What is your dream job?”

‘Mommy, I really want to be a policeman when I grow up.’

The very next day, she went to her local police station, and met a man named Kyle, she explained Elvis’ last wishes, and asked if Kyle could arrange to let his son ride around the police in a police car.

Kyle said “ We can do more than that, if you can bring your son along Thursday morning at 8, we can let him be a honorary policeman for the day, he can patrol with us, we will dine together at the police hall, and go out on all calls,”
“And if you can give me Elvis’ sizes, we can make him a uniform of his own, we tailor our own uniforms so it will be done in a flash.”

After 2 days, Elvis was escorted out from his apartment in his wheelchair, Kyle suited him in his police outfit, Elvis strolled around in his wheelchair as the policemen were patrolling, he dined with the policemen on duty, and ended the day in a police car, driving him home.

Having his dream come true, Elvis, by past all odds, managed to survive for 2 more months, which doctors thought was truly amazing.

But on a chilly Friday night, Elvis’ vital signs dropped.  His mother rushed him to the hospital, frantic and devastated, she suddenly remembered the day where Elvis has spent as a policeman, so she called Kyle who was patrolling nearby, and see if he could come over and accompany Elvis.

“I can do much more than that, I’ll be there in 15 minutes, and do me a favor, when you hear police sirens near the hospital, would you please kindly announce through the PA system that this is no accident, but it is the police force coming to visit one of their best comrades one more time.”

And so, in exactly 15 minutes, a total of 12 policemen, fully armed, rushed into the ward of Elvis, saluting him, in the way soldiers of valor are saluted.

With his mother’s permission, all 12 policemen hugged Elvis, and bid their farewells, and Elvis smiled so brightly, for the last time, as his dream was fulfilled.

With Elvis’s dying breath, he asked Kyle” Am I a true policeman now? Will I be a policeman in heaven?” By now all 12 policemen were shedding manly tears, ‘Yes you are, and God will hold your hand and accompany you until the end.’

Smiling weakly now, Elvis uttered” I know, he’s been holding my hand the whole day.”