5-year-old Orem boy thrilled to become police officer for a day


10 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — Lucas Aguilar spent Saturday fighting bad guys with the K-9 unit, shooting (pellet) guns and searching for superheroes at Utah's Hogle Zoo.

It was his wish to become a police officer, and, at least for the day, the 5-year-old could forget about his life-threatening leukemia.

"This is one of the better days for the police chief," said Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank, who welcomed Lucas to his force as part of Make-A-Wish Utah's one-of-a-kind adventure specifically created for the boy.

And Lucas was a trooper.

He squealed with enjoyment sending "Otto" the Belgian Malinois police dog to attack a fugitive actor, and when the local SWAT team let him pull the trigger on a pellet gun, detonate a flash grenade or control the search and rescue robot, a smile beamed across Lucas' face. It was the same when he boarded the state's Department of Public Safety helicopter and when he met city and state officials, giving them a firm handshake and sometimes even a hug.

He even put his dad in handcuffs.

"It's nice that in this time of fighting in our lives, we get to have a little fun," said Lucas' mom, Jessica Aguilar, of Orem. She said she's proud of all the "surviving" her son has done in the short number of years he's lived.

"That's just who he is, though," she said. "He just takes it."

Lucas Aguilar, 5, learns about K-9 dogs with Salt Lake police officer Nick Pearce outside of the Public Safety Building in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014. Aguilar chose to be a police officer for his Make-A-Wish Utah wish. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
Lucas Aguilar, 5, learns about K-9 dogs with Salt Lake police officer Nick Pearce outside of the Public Safety Building in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014. Aguilar chose to be a police officer for his Make-A-Wish Utah wish. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)

The diagnosis came in September 2013, after Lucas, then 4, refused to eat or drink. His skin became pale and he bruised easily.

"That's when our lives changed," Jessica Aguilar said, adding that many neighbors, family and friends have since pitched in to help them. She worked and continued pursuing a master's degree in human services and her husband, Moroni Aguilar, quit his job to stay home with Lucas and his siblings.

"It has taken a lot of energy to put aside our needs and wants and focus on our son," said Moroni Aguilar. "It has brought our family closer."

Lucas receives chemotherapy once a month and it will continue that way for the next two years. He's already in remission, but to be safe, he has to stay on various medications.

"As a parent, it makes you very proud that your kids are so willing to endure what it takes and live life," said Jessica Aguilar. "It makes you realize that life is so precious and so delicate. It's definitely given me a different outlook."

She said seeing her son happy and "acting like a normal kid again" on Saturday was exciting. It gave her hope.

Make-A-Wish Utah, which is funded entirely by donations, set a record for itself, granting 162 wishes last year. It has a goal to grant 165 this year and Lucas' was one of the first to come to fruition.

Kids with life-threatening medical conditions are referred to the program by their doctors and have the opportunity to go somewhere, get something, meet someone or be someone, said Jared Perry, Make-A-Wish Utah CEO. He said it is fitting that Lucas used his one wish to become a police officer for a day, as the first-ever national Make-A-Wish granting was for the same thing, 35 years ago.


As a parent, it makes you very proud that your kids are so willing to endure what it takes and live life. It makes you realize that life is so precious and so delicate. It's definitely given me a different outlook.

–Jessica Aguilar, Lucas' mother


"We see a lot of inspirational stories, and when you see the smile on his face, that's what makes it all worth it," Perry said. "We're seeing a child who has gone through a lot get his wish to be a police officer. It takes their minds off the illness for a while. It gives them all something to fight for."

The family has set up the Lucas Leukemia Foundation to help other families going through similar issues.

"It was a miracle to have the support we did," said Jessica Aguilar. "My son is still alive and he is healthy for the most part. We just take each day as a gift."

Lucas isn't the same on the outside as he once was — he talks more quietly and in a higher-pitched voice, and his gait isn't quite as strong or as steady — but his parents say he's still the same on the inside, helpful and sensitive, charismatic and full of life.

And having the day to be a kid, pretending to be a cop, will probably help.

"He's going to remember this for the rest of his life," Moroni Aguilar said.

And while Lucas can't possibly yet understand the complexity of what he's been asked to bear, his mom said, "he's been smiling more today than he has in a while."

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

UtahUplifting
Wendy Leonard

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast