Boy With Rare Skin Disease Makes Request, SWAT Team Shows Up at the Door

The Arizona Department of Public Safety’s SWAT team recently made the dreams of a cancer-stricken child come true when they made him a part of their team.

Raidan Aguilera, 7, dreamed of being a member of a SWAT team when he grew up, but in February, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, which makes his future uncertain.

With the assistance of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, however, the state DPS helped Raidan achieve those dreams on Dec. 7. They not only held a swearing in ceremony and outfitted him with a SWAT uniform, but also conducted a pretend “mission” for the child to take part in, according to KPNX.

After being sworn in as a trooper for the day at Sky Harbor airport, Raidan and his sister Mariah were flown in the DPS Ranger 1 helicopter to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where Raiden receives treatment, KTAR reported.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Raidan was told that his help was needed on a special “mission” involving a hostage situation.

Two stuffed animals were being held captive in a vacant office building by DC Comics characters Bane, The Riddler, Two Face and The Joker.

Raidan and his sister were taken to the SWAT training facility and given a lesson in tactical strategy. While the boy joined the SWAT team on the ground, his sister acted as a hostage negotiator in the group’s armored vehicle.

Raidan moved floor-to-floor and room-to-room with the SWAT team, rescuing the “victims” and taking the bad guys into custody.

Helping @MakeAWishAZ making a wish come true today for Raiden. #SWATKid pic.twitter.com/kunTJ98spV

— Dept. Public Safety (@Arizona_DPS) December 7, 2017

“For a day of him being able to feel like he’s part of a team. That just makes it all worth it,” Elizabeth Fleming, the boy’s mother, said.

The child, of course, had a blast.

“It was really fun. This is way much funner than birthdays or anything,” he said.

Col. Frank Milstead, director of the department, said the day was just as special to him as it was the child.

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“Today AZDPS SWAT made a difference in a young man’s life,” Milstead tweeted.

Today AZDPS SWAT made a difference in a young man’s life. Raiden Aguilera has LCH, a rare form of cancer. His wish was to be a SWAT Operator. @Arizona_DPS SWAT made the wish reality. @MakeAWish started here in 1980 under my father’s leadership. pic.twitter.com/hZlrYN5g6n

— Col. Frank Milstead (@frank_milstead) December 7, 2017

Milstead already had an interesting, familial connection to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

In 1980, the Arizona chapter granted its first wish for Chris Greicius, a sick child who wanted to be a state trooper.

The director of the state DPS at the time was none other than Col. Ralph Milstead — Frank Milstead’s father.

“Today I got to walk in my dad’s shoes and grant another wish for a child who loves law enforcement and what we stand for,” Milstead told KTAR. “It was an honor to help him fulfill his wish.

“Probably the best day I have had all year.”

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants hundreds of wishes each year to children facing life-threatening diseases, giving them an opportunity to achieve goals or fulfill dreams while momentarily forgetting about their sickness and treatments.

We’re glad to see Raidan have his dream fulfilled by this group of compassionate officers, and we’re praying for his recovery.

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