Evanston Police & Fire Departments help young patient
This report comes from the Daily Northwestern:
When over 20 police cars and fire trucks rolled onto the street where 10-year-old Julian Sims lives last Thursday, the noise puzzled him. But when the officers and firefighters arrived at his front door carrying balloons and bags filled with presents, it became clear they were there for him.
"We really wanted to show him we're 100% behind him," said Evanston Police Officer Heidi Bernhardt.
On Thursday, EPD officers and members of the Evanston Fire Department organized a motorcade, blocking off the 1500 block of Church Street for an unexpected visit to Julian's home.
Julian, a fifth-grader at Dewey Elementary School, was diagnosed with leukemia back in October 2013. Since November, his family has been searching for a bone marrow match, hosting drives and raising funds to test potential donors. Two months ago, their relentless efforts paid off—they finally found a match.
Starting Friday, Julian will begin the transplant process at the hospital, where he’ll stay isolated in a room for over a month without visitors other than his parents. Officer Bernhardt mentioned that both the police and fire departments managed to gather over $3,000 worth of gifts to make his stay in the hospital more enjoyable. These included gift cards, memorabilia from the Chicago Blackhawks, and Xbox Live games to keep him connected with friends and his brother Miles.
"I was completely overwhelmed," said Julian's father, Rich Sims. "I had no clue it would be this big or involve so many people."
Officers lined up outside the Sims' house, taking turns to greet Julian and shake his hand. Julian was given a police uniform jacket, complete with a personalized ID badge, along with a t-shirt autographed by all the firefighters.
After posing for a photo with the officers, Julian, beaming with joy, climbed aboard a fire truck and took a tour around Evanston.
"I feel like a lot of people respect me," Julian said. "They're trying to help me get through this."
Julian's story caught the attention of Officers Joseph Panek and Sean O’Brien, who read about him online and decided to reach out to the Sims family to offer assistance. When they learned that Julian had found a match and was heading to the hospital for the transplant, they contacted the police department to plan something special. Captain/Paramedic Jeffrey Boetto of the Evanston Fire Department helped rally officers and arranged for five fire trucks to join the motorcade.
"It's our way of giving back to the community," Boetto said. "We wanted to give him some encouragement."
Julian's mother, Romy Sims, expressed how fortunate her family has been throughout this journey. Through the Be the Match Foundation, they’ve raised over $6,000, covering all costs associated with Julian's transplant.
Romy also noted how extraordinary the officers' support was—after all, they didn't have to help, but they chose to.
"It goes beyond their job," she said. "It came straight from the heart. It’s incredibly uplifting."
In addition to the financial contributions, the officers' gesture has provided Julian and his family with immeasurable emotional support during such a challenging time.
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