Seven year-old Montreal boy Noah is in a battle for his life.
He moved to the Lighthouse Children and Families home in the Rosemont district of Montreal a few months ago, when his health began to decline. The child, whose parents want to keep his last name private, has terminal brain cancer.
“It’s probably his last Christmas,” said Ariane Parent-Lemay, a clinical nurse advisor at the pediatric palliative care house.
According to her, the boy was always fascinated by police. Marco Cerroni, a student in John Abbott College’s Police Technology programme told Global News that when the head of his department heard about Noah, he asked students in the programme to send letters of support to the child. But there was something about Noah’s story that Cerroni said touched him.
“He wants to become a police officer,” explained Cerroni, “just like me.”
That’s why the student said he helped organize something special — a parade of police, fire and ambulance service vehicles that drove past the residence Monday morning to honour Noah.
“We had approximately 12 to 15 police cars, three ambulances and we had three fire trucks,” said Const. John Doheney.
One fire truck brought someone dressed as Santa Claus, bearing gifts. Police officers as well as police technology students from John Abbott College also showed up with goodies for Noah, including plaques and police service memorabilia.
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Overcome, Doheney, a member of the police service’s intervention unit, gave Noah his cap.
“So he’s an official intervention squad officer with us,” joked Doheney.
The 27-year veteran police officer said the whole thing moved even him and the other veteran emergency service personnel.
“At one point I had to turn around because, I was crying, you know,” he said, his voice trembling. “It’s so touching.”
Noah is spending his last days at the Lighthouse residence, and will never realize his dream to be a police officer.
“So I wanted to give him as much as I can now that he’s with us,” Cerroni pointed out.
Medical staff at the not-for-profit residence noted that gestures like the one he helped organize are valuable to help make sure Noah enjoys life as much as possible.
“To lift his spirits this way, to see him smile like this, it’s payday,” Parent-Lemay stressed. “It’s payday for the family and for us and for him.
“It’s what he needs.”
Noah’s parents turned down an invitation to speak publicly. According to officials at the home, they were too preoccupied with their son they said was not doing well Monday morning. They’re not sure how much time he has left.
But Noah managed to crack a smile or two during the event. Cerroni and his colleagues hope they were able to help make the holiday season a special one for the boy.
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