Cops Provide Parade For 5-Year-Old Bergenfield, N.J. Police Fan With Terminal Cancer
BERGENFIELD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A New Jersey boy who has cancer is getting a lot of backup from police.
As CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported, officials from several departments are showing love and support to R.J. Sy, 5, of Bergenfield.
There was an impressive police response on Thursday outside R.J.'s Bergenfield home. His family was in awe.
"It was Bergenfield, Cresskill, Northvale, Teaneck, Harrington Park, Tenafly, Closter -- they just came out of everywhere," said the boy's father.
"We're so blessed that we got all of these people together for my son when there's no guarantee that he'll even see it," said the R.J.'s mother, Cheely Sy.
Dozens of officers from at least six Bergen County police departments answered the call for the little boy, who wanted to see his favorite heroes.
After a two-year battle with stage 4 neuroblastoma -- a crippling nerve cancer – R.J. is now at home in hospice care.
Venturing outside to be surrounded by Bergen County's finest was a dream come true.
"I know he feels all the love because we all do," Cheely Sy said.
R.J.'s obsession with police began when he was having cancer treatment in Manhattan last fall.
A chance meeting with a woman who had NYPD connections during his cancer treatments in Manhattan led to a meeting with the top NYPD brass, including future Commissioner James O'Neill.
He has visited and been visited by countless officers, and has patches from all of them to prove it. And now, he has his very own badge.
"After that time, any time we see police lights or he hears sirens, he says: 'Oh mom! Look! They're checking on me!'" Cheely Sy said.
Now that R.J. is homebound, he cannot visit his cop friends. Bergenfield Police Officer Daynel Ozorio wanted to change that, so he organized the Thursday morning cop caravan.
"It really feels good to know you're helping them cope with what's going on, because they're going through a lot," Ozorio said.
R.J. was already reliving his amazing morning when the afternoon came around, watching videos of the police parade from his bed.
Cheely Sy said her son's life is full, and their hearts are overflowing with gratitude.
"For other people, this might be a wish come true. But for us, this is what we live for -- this moment--- because we don't know how much of these moments we have," she said. "This is our everything."
