DETROIT (WXYZ) — Aniel Mendez, 4, walked the halls of Detroit Public Safety Head Quarters alongside his predecessor police Chief James White.
"Say: I’m feeling better," Jorge Mendez, Aniel's father, told him.
"I’m feeling better," Aniel repeated.
It's a feeling his family doesn’t take for granted. They say Aniel is battling terminal brain cancer and was diagnosed a month ago.
“Every moment, every minute means the world right now," Jorge said.
“Who’s my hero?" the father asked Aniel, who then pointed at himself.
For one day, Aniel, his twin brother and big brother got to live out every little boy’s dream.
They explored what the police and fire departments have to offer. They rode in a SWAT team vehicle, sat on a mounted unit's horse, greeted officers and checked out a fire truck.
Odessa Mitchell, an 11th Precinct neighborhood police officer, is neighbors with the Mendez family. That’s how the connection came about.
“I’m excited. I think I’m more excited than they are," Mitchell told 7 Action News.
Patti Kukula, head of the Detroit Public Safety Foundation, said the initial idea for this became a reality in less than 24 hours.
“I have two healthy children, and you know, you just never know what comes the next day and so we are grateful to provide this excitement for this family and a memory that they’ll cherish forever," Kukula said as she was overcome with emotion.
Jorge Mendez said, “It’s absolutely amazing what they just did for this little man. We never expected something like that and for the city to do something like that and actually care. It means a lot.”
Aniel's parents Jorge and Abby say they're holding onto faith.
Abby Mendez said, “We’re beyond grateful to see that my son’s dream can come true at a younger age, and knowing that he could actually be happy during this time makes us happy.”
She added, "Tomorrow, he starts radiation and all the prayers that anyone can do for us, (we'd) be grateful.”
